Power outages, cyber attacks and unforeseeable technical disruptions - the challenges for companies and private individuals are constantly increasing. A blackout, such as the one that recently paralyzed Spain and Portugal, can not only lead to chaos, but also cause immense economic damage.
But as the world becomes more connected, the importance of UPS systems and cyber security solutions to protect against unexpected incidents is also growing. In this blog post, we show you how you can reliably protect your IT systems and back up your data even during power outages.
On Monday afternoon (28.04.2025), the Iberian Peninsula was hit by a widespread power outage. In Spain and Portugal, the power suddenly went out in many regions - affecting millions of people. The incident had a massive impact on everyday life: rail traffic came to a standstill, traffic lights stopped working and communication was also interrupted in many places.
There were also isolated outages in neighboring France. The Portuguese grid operator (REN) confirmed a drastic drop in electricity consumption - demand fell from around 25 gigawatts to just 11 gigawatts within a very short space of time. This points to a major problem in the European electricity grid, even if the exact cause is still unclear.
One thing is certain: the police and grid operators are working flat out to clarify the background. Almost all of the affected regions now have power again - but the incident shows how vulnerable modern infrastructures are.
The power blackout not only had a major economic impact, but also highlighted how dependent modern societies are on a stable energy supply. The following effects were already apparent in the first few hours of the blackout:
It is still unclear what really caused the massive power outage in Spain. While Spanish authorities (Red Eléctrica) are working on a technical cause, another scenario is increasingly coming into focus: a possible hacker attack.
As the Spanish newspaper El País reports, the national cyber security authority INCIBE is investigating whether a cyber attack could be behind the sudden power outage. There are also increasing indications on the Portuguese side (energy supplier E-Redes) that the cause lies outside the country - possibly in the national power grid.
Portuguese Minister Manuel Castro Almeida even spoke openly on television: A targeted cyberattack could not be ruled out. According to media reports, the incident affected France as well as Spain and Portugal. There have been no confirmed outages in Germany so far. But…
…Tapinoma magnum, a species of ant from the Mediterranean region, is causing problems in several German cities. In Offenburg and Reinheim in particular, the animals have already paralyzed power and internet connections by nesting in technical systems. The species is also increasingly being spotted in cities such as Cologne and Hanover.
Although ants do not transmit diseases, they can cause allergies and damage technical systems. They are difficult to control as they look deceptively similar to native species. It may sound surprising, but even such incidents can lead to power outages.
Power outages like the recent ones in Spain and Portugal can be unexpected and devastating. At such times, the importance of a reliable UPS system (uninterruptible power supply) becomes particularly clear. UPS systems not only protect your devices from sudden power outages, but also ensure that you can back up important data before the systems are shut down. You can find more information about UPS systems in our UPS guide.
Especially at a time when companies and households are dependent on a constant power supply, a UPS offers reliable security. Whether it's critical servers, networks or workstations, a UPS guarantees that your devices will continue to run for a certain period of time in the event of a power failure, allowing you to take the necessary measures without losing data.
We offer a wide range of UPS systems that are perfectly tailored to your needs - from APC and CyberPower to Eaton and multimatic. We have the right solution for your requirements.
APC offers a wide range of UPS systems that reliably protect your devices from power failures and fluctuations. With advanced technology and high efficiency, APC ensures that your systems continue to run even in the event of unexpected power failures and that no valuable data is lost.
CyberPower offers state-of-the-art UPS systems that have been specially developed to protect IT infrastructures and critical systems. With features such as LCD display, Smart App LCD and energy efficiency, CyberPower UPSs provide reliable protection against power outages, surges and power spikes.
Eaton offers a wide range of UPS systems that are specially tailored to the needs of companies and critical IT infrastructures. With advanced technologies and modular scalability, Eaton UPSs protect your equipment from power outages and voltage fluctuations while minimizing energy consumption.
The multimatic UPS systems offer you customized protection for your IT systems and critical infrastructures. With innovative online double conversion technology and high efficiency, multimatic UPSs reliably protect your devices against power failures, surges and power fluctuations.
This incident shows how important it is to take cyber security seriously. With almost every device connected to the internet, cyber attacks can occur faster and more unexpectedly than ever before. A targeted hacker attack on critical infrastructure could have a major impact. The growing threat of cybercrime requires proactive security measures to protect systems and data. This includes regular updates, firewalls, encryption technologies and, above all, a conscious approach to security-relevant aspects. You can find more exciting insights into the topic of cyber security in our specialist article "IT security in companies".
Invest in cyber security - for a secure future, we can help you. Reliable brands in the field of cyber security are Fortinet, SonicWall and WatchGuard.
With its FortiGate firewalls, Fortinet offers highly developed security solutions that protect your networks against advanced threats and zero-day attacks with next-gen technologies. Through intelligent threat analysis and high-level scalability, Fortinet ensures a robust security infrastructure that is ideal for organizations of all sizes.
SonicWall offers advanced firewall solutions that secure your networks with real-time protection against threats such as malware and phishing. With intelligent threat detection and scalability, SonicWall protects your IT infrastructure to keep your organization safe from modern cyber attacks.
WatchGuard offers powerful firewalls that protect your networks from cyber threats, hacker attacks and data loss. With built-in security features such as VPN, intrusion prevention and web filtering, WatchGuard provides comprehensive protection that is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
Our own experience: We were also affected by the power outage - because we run an office in Spain. Thanks to the UPS systems installed there, we were able to bridge the sudden power outage for some time. The automatic switchover took place within a few milliseconds so that our systems continued to run without interruption. Although you hardly notice the change in normal operation, the immediate switchover to battery operation alerted us to the situation at an early stage. This experience has once again confirmed how important a reliable UPS solution is - especially in critical moments.
Whether it's a technical fault or a cyberattack, this incident illustrates how vulnerable and interconnected our energy infrastructure is today and how crucial it is to be prepared for all eventualities.
Take a look at our extensive range of UPS systems and security solutions - from leading brands such as APC, CyberPower, Eaton and multimatic to advanced firewall systems from Fortinet, SonicWall and WatchGuard. Proactively protect your data and systems before it's too late! Visit our store today and find the right solution for you - simply use our inquiry form.
