As a result of Russian hackers’ work, Valencia’s Turia Park briefly turned into a swamp this week. By Eugene Costello
Valencia’s celebrated Turia park briefly turned into a swamp this week after a cyber-attack forced officials to switch off its automated irrigation system.
The city council confirmed that the attack, traced to Russian IP addresses, was detected on Tuesday, 16 September, when technicians noticed the sprinklers in Section VI of the park’s former riverbed erupting without pause. The sudden deluge left parts of nearby paths and cycle lanes under water.
Engineers quickly isolated the network and reverted to manual watering in that stretch of the gardens while they investigated. This did not affect other municipal systems, and the remaining 13 irrigation zones remained secure.
Officials say the computerised watering system, installed a decade ago, contained a long-standing security flaw that allowed the breach. The council’s Parks and Gardens department is now seeking specialist cybersecurity support to shore up defences and prevent a repeat.
Despite the disruption, city sources stressed there was no broader damage and that the rest of Valencia’s IT infrastructure remains intact.