Besides executing a direct strike with a nuclear weapon, where the device would be detonated at or just above an adversary’s city or other target, an attack can also be executed by having it explode high in the atmosphere and generating an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Conducting such an attack requires less sophistication, as the detonation location can be more approximate and as there are fewer risks of the device being countered by a adversary’s defenses, and yet could prove devastating. Unless shielded against EMP effects, the majority of common integrated circuity within electronics would be affected. Power systems, water treatment facilities, waste removal systems, transportation systems, financial systems, public healthcare systems, oil refinement systems, and other sectors could be degraded or destroyed, and recovery could take months to years. Homeland Security Today.