So the current worry is an electromagnetic pulse? [1]
The "prepper" version of this usually confuses an actual EMP attack (which requires an atomic bomb) and solar magnetic disturbances. They're totally different. An electromagnetic pulse is a big RF pulse with a rise time in nanoseconds. A solar magnetic disturbance results in DC currents being induced into the ground over a period of hours.
An EMP attack is a threat, but if someone is firing atomic bombs at you, you have a bigger problem. That's the military view. It's mostly a threat to things which have long wires attached to them. Mobile devices are too small to be affected. It also doesn't affect fiber optics.
A solar magnetic disturbance is mostly a problem for AC long-distance power transmission on circuits which use a ground reference. This is a big problem for power grids, and they have ways to deal with them. There was a big event in 1989 which caused a blackout.[2] It appears as DC in AC circuits, causing partial transformer saturation. If this isn't detected, it can cause transformer overheating and burnout. But the big grids have detection for this, and reduce power levels in some transformers when necessary. This happens at a low level a few times every year.
The "prepper" version of this usually confuses an actual EMP attack (which requires an atomic bomb) and solar magnetic disturbances. They're totally different. An electromagnetic pulse is a big RF pulse with a rise time in nanoseconds. A solar magnetic disturbance results in DC currents being induced into the ground over a period of hours.
An EMP attack is a threat, but if someone is firing atomic bombs at you, you have a bigger problem. That's the military view. It's mostly a threat to things which have long wires attached to them. Mobile devices are too small to be affected. It also doesn't affect fiber optics.
A solar magnetic disturbance is mostly a problem for AC long-distance power transmission on circuits which use a ground reference. This is a big problem for power grids, and they have ways to deal with them. There was a big event in 1989 which caused a blackout.[2] It appears as DC in AC circuits, causing partial transformer saturation. If this isn't detected, it can cause transformer overheating and burnout. But the big grids have detection for this, and reduce power levels in some transformers when necessary. This happens at a low level a few times every year.
[1] http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2016/07/emp-electromagnet... [2] http://www.pjm.com/~/media/training/nerc-certifications/re6-...