Cyberattack Preparedness: What to Stockpile When Infrastructure Fails

Cyberattack preparedness has become one of the most relevant forms of emergency preparedness for modern households. The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack caused fuel shortages across the southeastern United States within days. The 2015 Ukraine power grid attack left 230,000 people without electricity. The 2016 Maersk attack disrupted global shipping for weeks. These weren’t military conflicts: they were targeted cyberattacks that cascaded into real-world supply chain failures that affected millions of ordinary people.

The good news: cyberattack preparedness is almost identical to general emergency preparedness. The same food, water, power, and communications supplies that protect you from natural disasters also protect you from infrastructure failures caused by cyberattacks. The key differences are in financial preparedness and communications independence.

What Infrastructure Fails in a Major Cyberattack

The DHS identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the US, nearly all of which have significant cyber vulnerabilities. In a major infrastructure cyberattack, the most likely cascade failures are:

• Power grid: Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems are interconnected and increasingly software-controlled. Grid disruption is the highest-impact infrastructure attack. See our EMP Preparedness Guide: grid-down prep is identical.
• Banking and financial systems: ATMs go offline; credit card processing fails; bank branch operations are disrupted; wire transfers halt. Cash becomes the only functioning payment method.
• Water treatment systems: SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems controlling water treatment are known targets. The 2021 Oldsmar, Florida attack showed a hacker attempting to increase sodium hydroxide in water supply to lethal levels.
• Fuel distribution: Colonial Pipeline showed that fuel supply chains can collapse within days of a cyberattack on pipeline management systems.
• Internet and telecommunications: BGP routing attacks, DNS hijacking, or attacks on major internet exchange points can degrade or disrupt internet connectivity across regions.
• Healthcare systems: Hospital ransomware attacks (increasingly common) disrupt electronic medical records, prescription systems, and medical device management.

Power Grid Preparedness

A grid-down cyberattack scenario requires the same preparation as any extended power outage:

• Portable power station (1,000Wh+): Jackery 1000, EcoFlow Delta 2
• 100–200W solar panel: indefinite recharging without grid
• Propane generator as backup
• LED lanterns + headlamps for all household members
• Propane camp stove + 20 fuel canisters
• Indoor-safe propane heater + CO detector

Water System Preparedness

A cyberattack on water treatment infrastructure could contaminate municipal water or simply take it offline:

• 30-day stored water supply (2 gal/person/day) in sealed containers
• Gravity water filter (Big Berkey): purifies any water source
• Water purification tablets: backup for filtered water
• WaterBOB bathtub bladder: emergency fill before supply disruption
• Monitor local water safety advisories via NOAA radio

Financial System Preparedness

This is the most cyber-specific preparedness area and the one most people ignore:

• Cash reserve ($500–$2,000 in small bills): ATMs and payment systems go down fast; cash is the only universally accepted payment in infrastructure failure
• Multiple bank accounts at different institutions: A single-bank ransomware attack or failure shouldn’t wipe out all your liquidity
• Printed account numbers, routing numbers, and insurance policy numbers: Digital access may be unavailable
• Physical credit/debit cards: Some older payment terminals process cards offline; have cards from multiple networks (Visa, Mastercard)
• Precious metals (small quantity): Gold/silver coins have barter value if paper currency system is disrupted for extended periods
• Offline copies of tax returns and financial records: On USB drives stored securely at home

Communications Preparedness

Internet and cell network disruptions are a primary cyberattack vector:

• Hand-crank NOAA weather radio: Government emergency broadcasts when internet is down
• Ham radio (licensed): Peer-to-peer communication when cell and internet infrastructure fails
• FRS/GMRS two-way radios: Local family and community communication
• Printed address book: Phone numbers stored only in cloud-synced phones are inaccessible without internet
• Satellite communicator (Garmin inReach): Works when all terrestrial networks fail
• Offline digital content: Download maps (Maps.me), first aid guides, and reference materials to phone storage: accessible without internet

Food Supply Chain Preparedness

Supermarkets carry approximately 3 days of inventory. Fuel supply disruptions from infrastructure attacks can halt resupply within a week:

• 30-day food supply per person (see our 1-Month Emergency Kit guide)
• Manual can opener × 2
• Camp stove for cooking without grid
• Manual tools for food preparation

Digital Security Preparedness

Beyond physical preparedness, cyberattack scenarios include personal digital security:

• Offline backups: External hard drive with all important documents, photos, and files: kept disconnected from internet
• Password manager with local backup: Use a password manager that can export encrypted local copies
• Two-factor authentication on all financial accounts
• Identity theft monitoring service: Infrastructure breaches often include personal data; early alert is valuable
• Freeze your credit: Free at all three bureaus; prevents identity theft account opening even if your data is compromised

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