The Blackout

An OT Cybersecurity Horror Story

Cybersecurity consultant Sam thought he’d seen it all. From phishing attacks to ransomware, nothing could phase him anymore. So, he couldn’t have possibly imagined what happened in the next five days.

He was just finishing up his last project of the day, getting ready to go home, when suddenly the lights started flickering. Thinking nothing really of it, he got up, packed up his things and started to leave the building.

“Ding!” The sound of the elevator arriving. Sam had only three more floors to go when he heard strange crackling sounds. The elevator started to shake lightly and eventually, between the third and second floor, came to a complete stop. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” exclaimed Sam. Trying to stay calm, he pushed the emergency button, but to no avail. Just when he wanted to try a second time, the elevator started moving again and he got out.

Blaming the old age of the building, Sam continued on his journey home. When he started noticing little things malfunctioning around him – traffic lights going haywire, store alarms going off without cause – he got this eerie feeling. Like something bad was about to happen.

He arrived home, eager to unwind, but as he approached his smart home, his key failed to unlock the door. He frowned, trying again, but nothing. Frustration bubbled up as he fumbled with his phone to access the manual override app, but the screen froze. The house seemed to mock him, its lights flickering on and off through the windows.

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally unlocked with a click. Sam stepped inside, greeted by darkness. No smart assistant chirped to life, no security system beeped — just silence. It was unnerving, but exhaustion pushed him to bed. He would deal with it tomorrow.

The next day, things seemed back to normal. He went to work like always, no strange electric malfunctions. After work, he caught his usual evening train home as a strange whirring sound echoed through the train cabin, growing louder with every mile. Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the train jerked violently. Passengers exchanged nervous glances as the engine sputtered and stalled on the tracks.

Then, without warning, the train accelerated uncontrollably. The lights shifted to a sickly green, and a distorted voice crackled over the intercom. Panic erupted as the train screeched horribly before careening off the rails. Metal twisted, windows shattered, and chaos ensued as the train crashed violently.

Sam lay among the wreckage, bloodied and disoriented. Everywhere around him, scared and hurt people. Some even dead. The distant wail of sirens felt almost surreal.

Over the next few days, the world descended into madness. A global blackout, caused by a massive cyber attack, plunged cities into darkness. The hackers had infiltrated the power grids, leaving governments powerless to respond. Without electricity, society crumbled. Food supplies dwindled, communication collapsed, and as fear took hold, so did violence.

At first, it was looting — stores ransacked for supplies. But soon, it became worse. People turned on each other. Paranoia spread faster than the darkness. Every shadow seemed dangerous, every stranger a threat.