Millions Affected After Major Power Outage in Portugal and Spain

On the morning of April 28th, Portugal and Spain suffered an unprecedented power outage, affecting millions of people.

The blackout unfolded throughout the day, creating chaos across the Peninsula. Trains and buses stopped, traffic lights and ATMs didn’t work, and people were stranded in metro stations and elevators.

The first rumors and theories about its cause pointed to a cyberattack, which was soon dismissed and proven fake news. But, what if it wasn’t? This incident only confirms how fragile interconnected systems can be.

If the root cause of this major outage were a cyberattack, it wouldn’t be the first time. The first record of such an incident goes back to 2015, when a coordinated cyberattack linked to Sandworm (a Russian hacker group) resulted in a power outage that affected over 200,000 Ukrainians.

In 2016 the same hacker group was behind another power outage, also targeting Ukraine. In this case, it became known for CrashOverride – the first malware designed to compromise power grids.

Nations have limited control over power outages stemming from environmental factors. However, as the world becomes more connected, cyberthreats also evolve, and countries and nations must be resilient and prepared to have their infrastructure targeted via a cyberattack.

The truth is that tensions among nations around the globe have risen, and discussions about cyberwarfare have become more prevalent. This emphasizes how crucial it is to educate yourself about the emergent threat of cyberattacks.

People and businesses should be aware of both large-scale and smaller cyberattacks. Although they probably won’t cause mass panic, they can easily disrupt business operations, drain resources, and steal data.

The line that separates online threats from the world’s consequences is getting thinner every day. As seen with the Iberic power failure, modern life is depends on electricity, and without it, the flow of life is broken.