Solar storms and cyber attacks can shut down electricity.

"People walk down the street between flashlights and light reflections during the power outage that affects Spain nationwide in Granada, Spain, on April 28, 2025. (Image credit: Fermin Rodriguez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" (Space,Solar storms and cyberattacks can both cause blackouts. Knowing the difference could save billions of dollars)

The difference between those things is that the danger to the system is that cyber attacks can destroy the computers by mixing or destroying data from the hard disk using the computer's internal commands. Things like backup hard disks can restore electricity immediately. The solar wind is a different kind of thing. 

The solar wind means fast ions and electrons that come from the sun. Those electrons and high-energy particles can push the Earth's ion field like Van Allen belts so low, that they can even touch the atmosphere. Along with those particles the Sun sends high-energy radiation. When those particles and radiation impact Earth's magnetic field they can form things like northern lights near the poles. Those particles can destroy satellites that orbit the sun. When they hit other particles those particles send gamma and X-ray radiation. 

When those particles and radiation hit the Earth's atmosphere they send electromagnetic radiation. The effect is similar to the nuclear weapon detonation at Earth orbiter. When that electromagnetic radiation hits electric wires it causes overvoltage in electric wires. That overvoltage causes physical damage to computers and other electronic systems. 

The problem with those solar winds and other kinds of things is that they cause physical damage. The Coronal mass ejections, CMEs are cases where the plasma causes extremely powerful electromagnetic effects to satellites and electric wires. This thing can cause a situation in the safety systems that will shut down things like nuclear power plants. The overvoltage can also burn things like microchips. 

The thing that tells about the CME's power is the case where that high-energy plasma hits Jupiter's magnetic field. That CME pushed Jupiter's magnetic field and its plasma ring to touch Jupiter's high atmosphere. That raised its temperature about 500 degrees. This tells us that solar storms are very dangerous. 

The EMP weapons are synthetic CMEs

The high-power CME can have a similar effect as the nuclear test "Dominic Starfish Prime". The nuclear test was made over Island Oahu Hawaii islands. That thing caused the EMP impulse that blackened the entire Oahu. The Starfish Prime detonated in 1962. At that time electronics were not as vulnerable as it is today. So, we can imagine that a similar explosion would happen today. 

That destroys electronics in large areas. There is the possibility that things like ion thrusters. That is pointed to the atmosphere can create a similar effect as Dominic Starfish Prime. The ion systems can replace the nuclear weapons in the EMP systems. The system can act like the Hawking plasma engine. It collects plasma around high-power magnets, heats it with microwaves, and then laser or particle accelerators can send those superheat ions to the atmosphere. That superheat plasma can have a similar effect as nuclear weapons. 

"Starfish Prime was successful. The Thor missile carried the test instrumentation and the W-49 warhead/Mk-4 RV payload to 248 miles. The test appeared quite spectacular from Hawaii (800 miles away) and at Kwajalein (1600 miles away), with impressive light displays from an artifical aurora lasting up to seven minutes. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from this test sent power line surges throughout Oahu, knocking out street lighting, blowing fuzes and circuit breakers, and triggering burglar alarms." (https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Dominic.html)

https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Dominic.html

https://scitechdaily.com/jupiters-defenses-collapse-under-massive-solar-storm-scientists-shocked-by-500c-heat-surge/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime