The millennium bug was real - and 20 years later we face the same threats

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/31/millennium-bug-face-fears-y2k-it-systems

The millennium bug was real – and 20 years later we face the same threats

Martyn Thomas

Tue 31 Dec 2019 09.00 GMT

On New Year’s Eve 20 years ago, Scottish air traffic controllers called the emergency room in London to say their radar had failed as they could see no aircraft. The radar was actually working perfectly. All flights had been cancelled because of fears that planes or airports would fail at midnight because of the “millennium bug”. Around the world, plenty of other people were anxious too.
(snip)

The millennium bug was real and the internationally coordinated effort was a great success. Tens of thousands of failures were prevented. Some suppliers took advantage and sold unnecessary upgrades to their customers, but those of us who worked days, nights and weekends to meet the hard deadline of December 1999 are angered when ignorant people think that because we succeeded, the threat was not serious.

Y2K should be seen as a warning of the danger that arises when millions of independent systems might fail because of a single event. But this lesson has not been learned. Today, millions of systems rely on the GPS signal to provide the accurate timing, positioning and navigation on which our communications, defence, financial systems and food supplies depend. Yet the GPS signal is easy to jam and could be disabled for days or weeks by a major solar storm. Today, so many computer systems use the same software that a single cyberattack could spread rapidly and cause chaos. And 20 years ago, we did not have automated just-in-time supply chains with their much greater vulnerability.

Twenty years ago we showed that committed international action could overcome a critical threat. We shall need that commitment again.
(snip)