The big blackout in Spain: Are we really prepared for the next crisis?

Yesterday, 28 April, Spain experienced one of the largest digital and electrical blackouts in its recent history. For hours, the entire country was without power, data networks were paralysed, public services were disrupted and thousands of citizens were disconnected from the digital world. What seemed a distant hypothesis has become a disturbing reality: technological vulnerability is an urgent problem.

This event has made it clear that we were not prepared. And it raises a critical question: what would happen if the next blackout was caused by a cyber-attack?

A blackout that has left us "in the dark"... also in the digital realm

Beyond the visible chaos, yesterday's blackout showed how dependent we are on technological infrastructure for everyday tasks: from making a bank transfer to coordinating emergency services. We're not just talking about "no power". We're talking about hospitals, airports, intelligent traffic systems, water supply and communications being absolutely paralysed.

And in a global context of growing threats, the risk of massive cyber-attacks affecting our critical infrastructures is not science fiction: it is the new battlefield.

What do the experts think?

In recent interviews for Byte TI Magazine and RTVE, Victor DeutschDirector of the Software Development Engineering Program at IMMUNE Technology Institute and cybersecurity specialist, has already warned of the urgent need to strengthen our systems:

"Digital resilience must be a strategic pillar. It is not only a technical issue, but also a matter of training, culture and prevention".

Deutsch insists that preparing highly skilled cybersecurity professionals is not optional. It is a necessity to ensure the continuity and security of our vital systems.

What has the blackout taught us?

• Relying on technology alone without contingency plans makes us vulnerable.
• Cybersecurity must be at the heart of national and business strategy.
• Lack of trained professionals to design, protect and recover critical infrastructure.
• Continuous cybersecurity training is not a luxury: it is a necessity for any sector.

In addition, Victor Deutsch has highlighted five key risks to technology infrastructures following an outage:

1. Immediate interruption of services
   When there are no backup power sources such as batteries or generators, servers, applications and systems shut down suddenly, bringing essential services to a halt. This was clearly evident during the blackout and can impact data centres, healthcare systems or financial institutions.
   It is crucial to have storage that includes internal batteries and write-protected caching mechanisms, along with real-time backups located at different sites, to ensure effective recovery.
2. Risk of loss or damage to information.
   Power interruption can cause abrupt shutdowns, leading to a high risk of data loss or file corruption. A typical case occurs when backups are performed right at the moment of the outage. Only frequent and well-distributed backups can ensure recovery without significant loss, which is particularly sensitive if medical or financial information is involved.
3. Weakness in physical security
   Although Spain has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to deal with cyber incidents, some take advantage of these situations to steal information or cause damage. In the event of power outages, security cameras, alarms and access systems can be put out of service. Therefore, having backup power sources focused on physical security is essential to prevent illegal access or sabotage.
4. Authentication and access management errors.
   If the servers that validate access or manage permissions go down, failures or improper access could occur when they are up and running again, posing a major security risk. In particular, the downtime of authentication servers can open the door to privilege escalation or unauthorised access during recovery. Therefore, robust restoration protocols and constant monitoring are key.
5. Threats during reactivation of systems.
   The restart phase after a power outage is particularly sensitive in terms of cybersecurity. If systems are brought back online without the protection mechanisms being fully active, this creates loopholes that can be exploited by attackers. It is therefore essential to carefully control the restoration process to prevent these weaknesses from becoming entry points for cyber-attacks.

What next?

The outage was a warning. The next challenge may not be a technical failure, but an orchestrated cyber-attack. The difference between resisting or collapsing will depend on how many professionals we have ready to protect ourselves.

If you have ever considered training in cybersecurity, now is the time.

At IMMUNE Technology Institutewe have designed the Cybersecurity Master to train the experts that the market is already urgently demanding.

What are the objectives of this master's degree in cybersecurity?

• Define and develop the organization and the processes related to corporate cybersecurity.
• Identify the main vulnerabilities affecting code and how to develop secure code.
• Forensic techniques applied to cybersecurity breaches. Learn to investigate and respond to incidents.
• To develop in a variety of scenarios of auditing and pentesting.
• Apply forensic and incident response techniques to respond to and investigate a cybersecurity breach.

In addition, this programme includes:

Flexible and up-to-date online 100% training.

Hands-on learning with real cyber-attack scenarios.

✅ Practicing professors and leaders in the cybersecurity sector.

High employability in national and international companies.

💬 "The best defence against the threats of the future is to start preparing today".

🔗 Find out more about our master's degree here: https://immune.institute/programas/master-online-de-ciberseguridad/

Because the future, and the present, will be technological... or it won't be.