Extreme Solar Activity Poses Direct Risks to Internet and Medical Devices

These phenomena are associated with solar flares, sudden explosions of energy produced by the reorganization of magnetic fields near sunspots. During the remaining years of this cycle, the persistence of intense energy events is expected, which reinforces the need for continuous monitoring and predictive analysis. Technological infrastructure in the face of severe solar storms The systems that sustain modern life —internet, smart devices, medical and hospital equipment, satellites, and quantum computers— present structural vulnerability to a super solar flare. Their detailed record allowed for the correlation of the solar explosion with the subsequent geomagnetic storm that impacted Earth hours later. Although his work was ignored for decades and his observatory dismantled, Carrington's observation became a central reference for understanding the relationship between extreme solar activity and terrestrial effects. Solar time series and UNAM's scientific leadership UNAM currently has one of the most complete time series of solar flares, integrating instrumental, satellite, and historical data. These records span from 1937 to 2022, as well as sunspot observations from 1610 to 2025, with over a million reports from more than 700 observers. During the pandemic, the digitization of non-systematized records was promoted, particularly from periods before 1976, which allowed for a continuous panorama of solar activity over almost nine decades. Predictive analysis and interinstitutional cooperation The use of artificial intelligence has made it possible to group large volumes of information and detect patterns associated with the appearance of auroras at low latitudes. This type of event, at the time, generated auroras visible as far as the Caribbean and widespread failures in telegraph networks, and today would have more far-reaching consequences due to contemporary technological dependence. Researcher Víctor Manuel Velasco Herrera, from the Geophysics Institute (IGF) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, has pointed out that an event of this magnitude could interrupt information, communication, and data storage systems, with prolonged effects on today's society. Solar activity and the current phase of cycle 25 Solar cycle 25, in effect since 2019 and the twenty-fifth since systematic records began in 1755, continues to show episodes of high activity, including sightings of auroras at unusual latitudes. These events have been described as 'technological killers' due to their potential to simultaneously disable critical infrastructures. This scenario has driven the need to train new generations of specialists capable of designing technologies resistant to extreme solar phenomena, given the possibility of a Carrington-type event occurring in the short or medium term. Richard Carrington and the key historical precedent English astronomer Richard Carrington documented the most intense solar event of the 19th century while observing sunspots from his observatory in Chelsea, London. These models suggest that the Sun has accumulated enough energy over 15 to 20 years, which supports the probability of new relevant events during the current cycle. This work involves researchers from the Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, the Institute of Geophysics, and the School of Languages, Linguistics, and Translation, in a collaborative effort that positions UNAM at the forefront of solar analysis at the international level. The complete research is available, consolidating a reference framework for preparation against large-scale solar storms.