Question Surge Protection between connected devices.

[Banqu0]

I apologize if this is not in the correct forum. This is more of a general electronics question and not specific to just computers, though that applies in my case.

I have two computers and peripherals all (external drives) plugged into a surge protector. There's one USB enclosure that isn't plugged into a protector due to lack of available outlets (new one arriving shortly). Theoretically, if there were a surge that damaged the the unprotected enclosure, could that, or would it be likely to, also damage the computer it's plugged into, and possibly the other machine which is connected by an ethernet cable?

 

[USAFRet]

The actual wire connected to a good quality UPS or surge protector is "protected". The wall plug and power supply.

However, that is absolutely not the only way things can go wrong.

Recently, I had a lightning strike. I think in the back yard.

Multiple systems and equipment, connected into different UPSs.

Problems still happened.

PC - 1x ethernet port. PC was still fine.
Printer - 1x ethernet port. Printer was otherwise fine. (PC and printer were on 2 different UPS)
Stereo receiver - 2x HDMI port (TV and other PC connected to those HDMI ports were fine)

Electricity can follow many strange pathways.