The attacks took place between March and June 2021. They succeeded: the sabotage then disabled more than a third of the RAR (Red de Alerta a la Radioactividad) sensors deployed throughout the country, which monitor possible levels of excess radiation.

what is it now

According to the official press release, detainees previously worked for the state at the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies, serving RAR systems., so they knew well how they work and understood how to carry out an effective cyber attack. The National Police did not release the names of the detainees or the motives behind the attacks.

• Investigators say that the detainees gained illegal access to the network and are trying to remove the RAR web management application from the control center.
• In parallel, they carried out separate attacks on the sensors, Destroying 300 of 800 sensorsIt is scattered all over Spain.
• In this way, they severed their connection with the control center, disrupted the data exchange and deprived them of the ability to detect the increased level of radiation.

The sabotage stopped only after authorities discovered the glitch in June 2021 and launched an investigation into law enforcement. Now Spain’s National Police says the operation, conducted at two residences and an office in Madrid and San Agustin de Guadalix, found “a large number of computers and communication devices relevant to the facts of the investigation”.