Advertorial
Blackout: When nothing works anymore
The book "Blackout - Tomorrow it's too late" by Marc Elsberg from 2012 and the subsequent film adaptation with Moritz Bleibtreu in the lead role confronted many people with the topic of blackouts for the first time. Manipulated smart meters had triggered a long-lasting Europe-wide power outage. Since the energy shortage in the winter of 2022/23, the term blackout has been used more and more frequently and is usually confused with local power outages. This article classifies the terminology and provides an overview of the causes, consequences and probability of a blackout occurring.
What is a blackout?
A blackout is a sudden, supra-regional and prolonged power, infrastructure and supply failure. Due to the close interconnectedness of the European power supply system, several countries may well be affected. External help is therefore only to be expected to a limited extent or not at all, as they all have the same problem.
The term blackout must be clearly distinguished from so-called brownouts. These are planned, regional shutdowns to prevent an unplanned large-scale power outage (blackout) due to a power shortage. Such regional shutdowns were discussed and prepared in some countries in the winter of 2022/23 due to a possible power shortage. For this reason, some companies, especially those in industry and logistics with critical infrastructure, have also secured themselves with rental gensets during this time. Read this article to find out how companies can take precautions in the event of short-term power outages and brownouts.
How can a blackout occur?
There are a number of possible trigger events for a blackout. For example, sabotage attacks, cyber attacks, extreme weather events that damage infrastructure, or technical or human error. In principle, a blackout is not triggered by a single event.
Read more at bredenoord.com/blackout
There you can read:
- The specific causes
- How likely or unlikely is a blackout?
- What would the consequences of a blackout be and how long could it last?
- How can you prepare for a blackout?
You might also be interested in
European companies prioritize security over growth
With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into business-critical processes, European companies are shifting their priorities. Instead of pure innovation projects, the focus is increasingly on security, governance and scalability.
read more...NIS2 meets store floor
The NIS2 directive significantly increases the requirements for OT security. This article shows how companies can combine structure, verifiability and practical relevance with IEC 62443-2-1 - from governance to auditability on the store floor.
read more...From risk to resilience
NIS2 significantly increases the requirements for industrial security concepts. In addition to cyber resilience, physical access protection is becoming increasingly important.
read more...Security Operations Center module
When cyber attacks reach production
Adlon is further developing its Security Operations Center and adding another module to the existing Managed SOC for Microsoft 365 environments (based on Managed XDR): Managed SOC Advanced.
read more...Kisters at the Hannover Messe 2026
Protection of 3D CAD data in product development
The protection of design data is becoming increasingly important in cross-company exchange. Today, modern software solutions offer a wide range of technologies to effectively protect 3D CAD data from unauthorized access and reverse engineering.
read more...Cyber threats: Four key trends 2026
Autonomous AI agents, industrialized cybercrime and attacks on critical infrastructures are rapidly changing the threat situation. Why cybersecurity will only work at machine speed in 2026.
read more...Demir Imeroski takes over management of the Hamburg branch
With effect from September 1, 2026, Demir Imeroski will take over the management of the Hamburg branch of Assa Abloy Sicherheitstechnik in addition to his role as Head of Client Operations. He succeeds Klaus Germer, who is taking his well-deserved...
read more...Criminals use AI systematically
Trend Micro warns in a new study of the increasing professionalization of AI-supported cybercrime. Deepfakes, fraud and malware are gaining in importance.
read more...Lifecycle management and safe IO-Link communication
At SPS, Pilz will be presenting solutions that combine safety and security in production. The focus is on the digital Myzel Lifecycle Platform, a SaaS offering for the management of machinery and personnel over the entire lifecycle.
read more...