Mitic on computer blackouts: “We have to remain vigilant”

Photo: mitic.gov.py

When contacted, Mitic Undersecretary Juan Ardissone first explained the cause of the power outage that paralyzed almost everyone.

“As we all know, Windows is the base operating system for computers and servers, so every new system or application that is installed is done on a Windows system. It so happens that when the update fails, problems arise in it, which in turn creates all the problems that are recorded in countries around the world,” he commented.

However, he asked to remain vigilant against any new cases that may occur and have an impact on our country. “This may continue to happen in the next few hours as they are updates that are automatically executed on a schedule, in batches but in a staggered manner,” he said.

That is why the ministry is in constant contact with its government counterparts. “We are in constant communication with state agencies to see if problems arise and to find possible solutions.”

No viruses or hacker attacks

The deputy minister also made it clear that this was not a virus or hacker attack, as was mentioned when the problem first occurred. “All official Windows reports explain the failure of the update and have nothing to do with the spread of viruses or possible computer hacking,” he said.

Paraguayan clouds, intact

Next, Adisoni said that, in summary, the computer systems at the national level are intact. “As for the Paraguayan cloud where the Mitic data center is located, it did not affect us because we do not use Windows, we use another operating system. Some state institutions do have Windows, so it is a question of vigilance and monitoring.”

“If the update that crashes Windows arrives in Paraguay and a blackout occurs, every institution, business, company that has a website and a Windows system could also go down. That’s why I say that we are alert to what could happen in the next few hours,” the respondent continued.

It is worth mentioning that the most commonly used operating systems in Paraguay are Windows and Linux, the latter of which is also a fairly powerful system and widely used throughout the world.

Most normally, PCs are generally on Windows, and when it comes to servers, there is more of a split between Windows and Linux. But in Paraguay, PCs and laptops are generally more Windows than Linux.