Imagine waking up to find the internet gone—not just for a few hours, but indefinitely.
No emails, no banking apps, no GPS, no Netflix.
This isn’t science fiction; it’s a growing possibility.
A digital collapse could result from cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, EMPs, nuclear attacks, geopolitical conflicts targeting undersea cables or satellites, or widespread power grid failures.
Catastrophic software bugs and overreliance on centralized systems, like AWS, have already shown us how fragile our digital world can be.
The truth is, life without the internet won’t be a nostalgic return to simpler times. It will be chaos.
Our economy, healthcare system, and even emergency services are deeply intertwined with online networks.
In 2023, WEF shared a report that claims: “91% of respondents said they believe a far-reaching and catastrophic cyber event is at least somewhat likely in the next two years.”
During this WEF Annual Meeting, Sadie Creese, a Professor of Cyber Security at the University of Oxford, predicted: “There's a gathering cyber storm. […] This storm is brewing, and it's really hard to anticipate just how bad that will be."
The question isn’t if this will happen, but when.
Whether it is the result of a catastrophic cyberattack or a massive grid failure, our dependence on the internet will harm us in the future.
Read on to learn more.
Major Digital Collapses Have Already Happened
We’ve all experienced an internet outage before.
Most of the time, it’s just a minor hiccup and a source of frustration. We can’t scroll social media or watch Netflix for a few minutes to a couple of hours.
But the internet extends far beyond entertainment.
Consider what happened on July 19, 2024. According to the Atlantic Council:
On July 19, the world experienced its largest global IT outage to date, affecting 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices. Thousands of flights were grounded. Surgeries were canceled. Users of certain online banks could not access their accounts. Even operators of 911 lines could not respond to emergencies. The cause? One mere faulty section of code in a software update. The update came from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm whose Falcon Sensor software many Windows users employ against cyber breaches.
This is just one example.
Forbes adds: “The global IT outage that disrupted major industries worldwide in July 2024 serves as a stark reminder of the critical role technology plays in our interconnected world. […] The next major IT outage is a matter of when, not if.”
Global Internet Outages Will Happen
Matthew Prince, the Cloudflare CEO, says, “As more things get connected to the internet, there's just more risk.”
Just this year, the Washington Post released a report that revealed China’s cyber army has already been invading critical American infrastructures.
The article states:
The Chinese military is ramping up its ability to disrupt key American infrastructure, including power and water utilities as well as communications and transportation systems, according to U.S. officials and industry security officials. Hackers affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army have burrowed into the computer systems of about two dozen critical entities over the past year.
These include a water utility in Hawaii, a West Coast port, at least one gas and oil pipeline, and an attempt on Texas’s power grid.
Given the ability to sabotage a country through cyber technology, we will see more of these types of mass outages.
For instance, as I am writing this Survival Scout, I received a news alert with the title “FBI Hacking Warning—Change 2 Settings On Your iPhone.”
News sources report:
Amid an unprecedented cyberattack on telecommunications companies such as AT&T and Verizon, U.S. officials have recommended that Americans use encrypted messaging apps to ensure their communications stay hidden from foreign hackers. […] Two officials — a senior FBI official who asked not to be named and Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — both recommended using encrypted messaging apps to Americans who want to minimize the chances of China’s intercepting their communications.
The internet is not safe.
We should not depend on technology that we cannot control.
Prepare for Life Without the Internet
It’s better to prepare for upcoming global outages than to be shocked when they happen.
This isn’t fear-mongering; it’s common sense preparedness.
There will be internet outages. And as things get more connected, we should plan on them happening more frequently.
Here are a few ways to prepare now for life without internet:
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Have a Regular Digital Detox. Make it a regular practice for your family to enjoy a digital detox. Spend a whole weekend unplugged.
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Find Community IRL (In Real Life). The internet is great for communicating with like-minded people around the globe, but if the internet goes offline, do you have a like-minded community in the real world?
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Invest in Old-School Communication Devices. With the FBI telling us to avoid text messaging, it may be time to go back to using old-fashioned walkie-talkies and ham radios.
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Know How to Use Traditional Navigation Tools. If the internet goes down, so do our navigation tools. If you have become reliant on your GPS, make it a point to reintroduce yourself to traditional navigation tools, such as paper maps, atlases, and compasses.
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Keep Physical Copies of Important Documents. Place physical copies of important documents, such as birth certificates and medical records, in a fireproof, waterproof lockbox.
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Build a Resource Library. When we need to know how to do something, we can quickly search the internet. But without the internet, that won’t be possible. You can’t go to recipe blogs or YouTube. Instead, buy cookbooks, keep recipe cards, buy how-to books, or download your favorite resources to an offline storage device.
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Embrace Digital-Free Hobbies. Before the internet crashes, have some ways to spend your time without the internet. Try reading, sewing, wood carving, or gardening.
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Cook at Home. Should there be a massive internet outage, there will not be any Grubhub or UberEats. Start cooking at home more often.
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Stock Up on Food. If there is a digital collapse, there will be massive supply chain issues. Be prepared for empty grocery store shelves by stocking up on emergency food today.
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Get News Through Old Methods. The internet makes it easy to get news quickly. But if the internet isn’t working, you will not be able to stay up-to-date with what is happening unless you have a weather radio or standard TV antenna.
- Make a Habit of Considering How You Would Do XYZ Without the Internet. As a society, we have become much too dependent on the internet, and when it fails, we are in trouble. Knowing it is likely to fail at times, make a habit of asking yourself how you would do [fill-in-the-blank] if you didn’t have access to the internet. Teach your kids to ask this same question.
Practice digital-outage preparedness, friends.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply
