The United Nations has raised a fresh alarm over the growing risk of a digital pandemic, warning that solar storms, submarine cable cuts, and extreme weather could severely disrupt global communications and cripple essential services.
This warning was given in light of a new report released in Geneva by the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Sciences Po, that revealed the world is not fully prepared for large-scale digital system failures.
The report, titled “When digital systems fail: The hidden risks of our digital world,” highlights how modern economies now depend heavily on interconnected digital infrastructure, making them vulnerable to shocks that can spread quickly across borders.
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According to the findings, a powerful solar storm could disable satellites, disrupt GPS navigation, and destabilize electricity grids, with recovery taking several months. At the same time, damage to submarine internet cables, often caused by natural disasters or accidents at sea, could cut off entire countries from the global internet.
The report warns that such disruptions could trigger a chain reaction across sectors, affecting banking systems, healthcare services, emergency response, and daily communication.
“Resilience must be built into the DNA of the technologies we depend on. This report urges us to consider the systemic nature of risks and rethink how we protect the systems that connect and empower humanity,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU secretary-general.
Experts say extreme heat is another growing threat, as rising temperatures can overwhelm data centres, leading to widespread mobile network outages and interruptions in financial transactions and hospital systems.
Natural disasters like earthquakes can also damage critical infrastructure, slowing business operations and leaving millions without connectivity for weeks.
“As our societies become more reliant on digital technologies, disruptions caused by disasters can cascade across systems and borders, triggering far‑reaching and potentially catastrophic failures. We must plan, build and maintain digital infrastructure with systemic risk in mind – now and for the future. Digital infrastructure must be resilient infrastructure,” said Kamal Kishore, special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for disaster risk reduction and head of UNDRR.
One of the key concerns raised in the report is that many societies have become overly dependent on digital systems without maintaining offline alternatives. In situations where networks fail, basic services may be unable to function due to a lack of backup systems.
The report notes that while individual risks may appear unlikely, their combined impact could create a global crisis if countries fail to prepare.
Arancha González said addressing these risks requires stronger cooperation between governments, the private sector, and international organisations, as well as better data-driven policymaking.
“Facing systemic risks means looking beyond data and working across disciplines. This report shows how evidence-based policymaking can help us build resilience in an increasingly interconnected world,” said Arancha González, dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po.
To reduce the risk of a digital pandemic, the report calls on policymakers, the private sector, and civil society to act now to prevent these risks from becoming a digital pandemic, urging for global commitment and coordinated action. Authors suggest considering six priorities for safeguarding critical digital infrastructure:
Identify vulnerabilities, map cross-sector dependencies, develop models for potential chain reactions, and maintain analogue skills; Treat non‑intentional digital disruptions as a core risk by updating legal and disaster‑risk frameworks and incentives. Strengthen standards and planning; Establish robust fallback systems and conduct joint multi‑sector scenario planning. Improve coordination on critical risks and proactively coordinate on high‑impact risks affecting space weather, submarine cables, satellites, and data centres.
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Other recommendations are to equip communities and organizations to withstand and recover from digital disruptions by fostering adaptive capacities. Foster trust and collaboration and build capacity, convene stakeholders, and promote shared awareness and accountability across sectors and borders.
The findings are based on contributions from experts across 12 countries, reflecting the global scale of the challenge.
As digital technologies continue to power economies and daily life, the UN warns that failure to act could expose the world to a new kind of crisis, one driven not by disease, but by the collapse of the systems that keep societies connected.
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