Spain Launches Cyberattack Investigation Into Massive Blackout

Spain’s High Court Launches Investigation Into Massive Blackout

Spain’s High Court announced it will open a formal investigation into the unprecedented power outage that plunged most of Spain and Portugal into darkness on April 28, 2025. The probe aims to determine whether a cyberattack targeting critical infrastructure could have caused the blackout, which is considered the largest in European history. The court said it will treat any confirmed cyberattack as a terrorist act due to the critical nature of the infrastructure involved.

Blackout on April 28

The blackout struck suddenly at midday, causing a rapid loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity-about 60% of Spain’s total demand, within just five seconds. The disruption cascaded through the grid, severing the connection with France and leaving millions without power for up to ten hours. Essential services, telecommunications, and transportation were severely impacted, with hospitals relying on backup generators and thousands stranded as metro and train services halted.

Preliminary Analysis of Red Eléctrica Did Not Point to a Cyberattack

Spain’s grid operator, Red Eléctrica, has stated that its preliminary analysis found no evidence of such an incident and has ruled out cyber intrusion as the cause. More than a week after the incident, authorities face pressure to clarify the circumstances behind the blackout and ensure measures are in place to prevent a repeat of the crisis.

The government has said it will need several more days to pinpoint the exact cause of the outage, and that a comprehensive audit is underway.

Why Does it Take so Long to Determine the Cause?

Modern electricity grids are highly complex, with numerous interconnected components and operators spread across various countries. This vast network means that a failure in one part of the system can trigger a chain reaction, spreading unpredictably across the grid. As a result, tracing the exact cause and sequence of events becomes a challenging task, often requiring sophisticated analysis to identify the problem's origin.