Hacking the grid: How digital sabotage turns infrastructure into a weapon

The US used a cyberattack to turn off power in Caracas during the raid to seize Maduro. The US grid is also vulnerable to this kind of attack.

By: Saman Zonouz, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 22, 2026

Words: 1,351

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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By Saman Zonouz, Georgia Institute of Technology

The darkness that swept over the Venezuelan capital in the predawn hours of Jan. 3, 2026, signaled a profound shift in the nature of modern conflict: the convergence of physical and cyber warfare. While U.S. special operations forces carried out the dramatic seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a far quieter but equally devastating offensive was taking place in the unseen digital networks that help operate Caracas.

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