Infrastructure cyberattacks are suddenly in fashion. We can buck the trend

Opinion Barely a month into 2026, electrical power infrastructure on two continents has tested positive for cyberattacks. One fell flat as attempts to infiltrate and disrupt the Polish distribution grid were rebuffed and reported. The other, earlier attack was part of Operation Absolute Resolve, the US abduction of Venezuela's President Maduro from Caracas on January 3.

Both attacks exhibit what's called layered ambiguity. The components, timing, and methods in the Polish event are either the product of the same organization that has attacked Ukrainian systems over the past decade, or is an incomprehensible attempt by someone else to mimic them. Meanwhile, all we officially know about how Caracas went dark as the air armada homed in is President Trump saying that the "lights in Caracas were turned off due to a certain expertise we have." That's either an army of CIA agents operating under cover of office ...