Lorraine Williamson
When Elche’s town hall computers went dark in late August, the city of more than 230,000 people found itself paralysed. Websites crashed, permits stalled, and residents could not even get through on the phone. For five days, Spain’s third-largest city in the Valencian Community was effectively running blind.
By early September, officials had cobbled together a lifeline. A new computer network, completely cut off from the internet, was launched on 9 September. It restored basic functions including police communication, payroll, and rent subsidies. Mayor Pablo Ruz credited existing emergency protocols for ensuring that salaries and benefits were paid on time despite the chaos.
The stripped-down system is now being used only for essential services such as the civil registry, licence requests, and internal communication. Its physical isolation is its biggest defence against hackers.
Paper and queues
During the outage, life at Elche’s service counters looked more like the 1980s than 2025. Staff resorted to pen and paper, handling hundreds of forms a day. In just one morning, more than 780 registrations and bus pass applications were completed by hand. Queues snaked through municipal buildings, with frustrated residents waiting hours for basic procedures.
Data security fears
The cyberattack is under investigation with support from Spain’s national intelligence agency CNI, Europol, and the regional cybersecurity centre CSIRT-CV. Although there is no evidence that sensitive data has been stolen, residents remain uneasy about the possibility of identity theft. Demands for full transparency are growing louder.
Weaknesses and lessons
Insiders suggest the attack began with a phishing email targeting city staff. Outdated software, downgraded VPN protection, and overnight-running systems created the perfect storm. A planned shift to cloud-based solutions had been postponed, leaving Elche more vulnerable than many realised. Experts say the incident revealed systemic failures that go beyond one city’s misfortune.
Growing national threat
Elche is far from an isolated case. According to the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), cyberattacks on local governments in Spain jumped by 37% in 2025 alone. Between 2021 and 2023, the proportion of municipalities affected rose from 58% to 69%. Zaragoza, Málaga and other cities have all faced crippling attacks. In response, Madrid has rolled out a national action plan with mandatory audits, faster software patching, and rapid-response cyber units.
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Building digital defences
Looking ahead, Elche is teaming up with the University of Alicante and local tech firms to rebuild trust. Municipal employees are receiving training to spot phishing attempts and digital manipulation. Smart monitoring systems are being introduced to flag suspicious activity before it spreads.
Cybersecurity expert María López welcomes the creation of Elche’s offline backup system but warns it is only a stopgap. “The real solution lies in modernising municipal technology and ensuring continuous training,” she says. “Hackers are evolving every day—cities cannot afford to stand still.”
Elche’s ordeal highlights the fragility of local government systems across Spain. With more attacks inevitable, the question is not whether hackers will strike again, but whether cities will be ready. For Elche, the challenge now is to transform a crisis response into long-term digital resilience.
Source: Informacion.es