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After ISIS, Americans Fear Cyberattacks Most (theatlantic.com)
An anonymous reader writes: According to Pew Research Center, there's an increasingly growing fear among Americans about cyberattacks. In fact, it's the second most feared entity to them, the first being ISIS. The terrorist group is scary by design, relying on propaganda videos and ultra-violent attacks to spread fear and project power. But coming in second right after the terrorist group was the prospect of country-on-country cyberwar: a digital raid to steal another government's information, for example, or a large-scale attack on a nation's electrical grid. Cyberattacks are a major threat in the minds of 72 percent of Americans, and a minor threat to another 22 percent. Cyberwar hasn't been on Americans' minds to this degree since 2013. That year, for the first time, Americans ranked cyberattacks as a top threat, placing it second after the threat from Islamic extremists like al-Qaeda. But in the intervening years, Americans turned their attention to nuclear threats.
Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention. I thought weirdos using the wrong bathroom what what I was supposed to be scared of this week.
Seriously though... Terrorists? That's what keeps you up at night? I'm more worried about the idiot driving next to me on his cell phone, or the list of 2000 other things that are more likely to personally affect my life. #2000 is something like "I wonder how nasty it is going to be behind my stove when I have to replace it." #2001 is probably "I need a new stove." Terrorism isn't even a blip on the radar. Maybe I'm naive, but I've got other shit to worry about right now.