It’s been our focus at Calculated Risk to advise high-net-worth families on how to preserve not just their legacy but the freedom to live on their own terms.

For those with a discerning eye, the storm ahead is visible. Patterns of invisible dangers have visited us recently, so we must be skeptical and discerning in forecasting future concerns.

Looking at patterns, in 2001, it was the invisible war on terrorism, with the Patriot Act being implemented within 45 days of the attack. The 2020 invisible pandemic required lockdowns, unprecedented medical measures, and global restrictions, all in lockstep.

World forums, government agencies and technology companies warn of an inevitiable invisible cyber-attack, possibly from known or unknown state actors or black-hat hackers. These are concerns you must hold close to the chest as global wars are starting to ramp up at breakneck speed.

Whether events happen organically or circumstances are created, it does not matter, as the outcome is still the same. Understand that an unpredictable set of cascading events that requires independent action to limit the impact on your life and daily living may soon be at your doorstep. No one is coming to save you.

We often speak of visible risks like market crashes, geopolitical flare-ups, or pandemics. Still, the silent escalation of cyber warfare can threaten your family’s sense of security and control, which is what keeps me up some nights. This threat is already reshaping the United States in ways most people won’t notice until it’s too late. Thinking creatively, this is the kind of disruption that creeps in like a fog, then strikes like a hurricane, leaving cities paralyzed, while those who prepared continue as if nothing happened.

Much like clockwork, Black Swan events come out of nowhere, with experts espousing that no one could have seen them coming. Yet, government leaders, intelligence assessments, and global forums have warned us that a “frightening cyber-attack” is in our future. You can decide for yourself whether the likelihood of a major cyber-attack on US infrastructure is science fiction or a certainty of fact. Our take is that it is no longer a question of whether this will happen, but instead of when and how severe it will be.

Intelligent assessments and government reports put the probability of a significant incident at over 80% over the next 5 years, driven by state actors such as China, Russia, and Iran. These are not random hackers; these are nation-backed operations testing vulnerabilities in power grids, water treatment systems, and financial networks, with these players sitting back waiting for the right moment to exploit them. Also note that history is littered with false-flag attacks to push specific agendas; let us not be so naive as to believe we could not be subject to narrative manipulation again. There is a changing world order in operation taking place as we speak.

Let’s change direction and use the recent 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack as an example. It shut down fuel supplies along the entire East Coast. Imagine the scale of a cyber event at the national level, where blackouts last for weeks rather than days, and supply chains grind to a halt.

Families like yours are accustomed to seamless access and would find their urban strongholds suddenly isolated, with no quick fix in sight. The threat itself is insidious enough because it is invisible until it hits. Cyber warfare does not require boots on the ground; it strikes from keyboards thousands of miles away, crippling the essentials we take for granted.

Let me also point out that power grids are the prime target when taking a war footing. With over 90 percent of U.S. military bases relying on civilian electricity, a coordinated attack could black out entire regions, as simulated in GridEx exercises.

Water systems also rely on electrical power: a compromised pump station could contaminate supplies for millions, forcing evacuations or rationing. Communications and finance follow, which may cause banks to freeze, ATMs to run out of cash, and cell towers to go dark when backups fail.

In Europe, we have seen previews with Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s grid, causing outages for millions; the same tactics are now aimed at the West, with U.S. officials confirming daily probes on our networks. This is not speculation; it is the reality of a world where adversaries like China have invested billions in cyber capabilities, viewing them as asymmetric weapons to level the playing field against American power.

From my observations working with families across the country, the chaos that follows an attack clogs roads, grounds private jets, and causes city-wide blackouts. This should evoke deep concern and motivate one to take proactive planning.

Now, in 2026, with rising tensions in Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Eastern Europe, the risk of retaliatory cyber strikes on U.S. soil increases. Intelligence briefs I review with clients show foreign actors mapping our grids for years; a well-timed winter attack could leave tens of millions without heat, creating crises that make COVID seem mild. This should make families feel vulnerable and prompt them to urgently consider resilience measures.

Pre-action analysis is straightforward but urgent to assess your current exposure. If your primary operating base is in a significant city, calculate how long you can sustain without grid power, municipal water, or grocery deliveries. Most families I speak with realize it is days, not weeks. Factor in family dynamics: children in urban schools, staff commuting from suburbs, assets tied to city real estate. Then consider the broader picture: AI hype promises economic salvation, but its data centers consume electricity equivalent to small countries, further straining grids and making them prime targets. The U.S. has over 5,000 data centers, many in Virginia and Texas, but a cyberattack on just a few could ripple through financial systems, freezing portfolios and halting transactions.

For high-net-worth families, this means not just financial loss but operational paralysis, but your jet fuel supplier perhaps goes dark, your private banker’s system crashes, your telemedicine link fails.

High-net-worth families should prioritize proactive resilience measures, such as geographic diversification and autonomous estate planning, to safeguard their wealth and security. Start with site-specific intelligence to identify regions such as the Intermountain West or the Appalachian foothills, where natural buffers and self-reliant communities offer resilience. Design for complete operational independence: independent power, secure water, regenerative agriculture, and hardened communications to maintain contact when networks fail. This approach should inspire confidence in your ability to protect your family’s resilience.

Families I work with often begin with a 100–500-acre estate, budgeting $5–20 million for turnkey integration, and acting within the next 12-24 months. Clarifying the timeline emphasizes urgency and encourages families to act now before land prices rise or options diminish, ensuring they are better prepared for potential cyber warfare disruptions. The time horizon is closing; it is more than likely that a significant event will occur before 2030.

The geopolitical tensions fueling this are not abstract. China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and over Taiwan risks a conflict that could halt global shipping, spiking energy costs, and triggering cyber retaliation on U.S. grids. Russia’s actions in Ukraine have already weaponized food and energy, with knock-on effects like fertilizer shortages that raise global prices. Iran’s proxy networks keep the Middle East volatile, threatening oil flows that underpin everything from fuel to plastics. These aren’t distant skirmishes; they are interconnected pressures that could cascade into U.S. blackouts or shortages at any moment. For high-net-worth families, the response is resilience: a portfolio that hedges with precious metals and tangible assets, a family governance plan that includes relocation drills, and an autonomous platform that renders uncertainty irrelevant. If you have read this far, you already sense the shift. The world is not waiting for permission to change. Neither should you

Important Disclosure:
This publication is for general informational purposes only and reflects the author’s perspective. It is not financial, investment, tax, legal, or professional advice of any kind, nor an offer or solicitation. Calculated Risk Advisors disclaims all liability for actions taken or not taken based on this content. Readers should consult their own qualified advisors before making decisions.

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