Cyber Attack On Slovakia’s Land Registry
A large-scale cyber attack originating form outside Slovakia borders has hacked the information system of the Office of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre of the Slovak Republic (UGKK). The UGKK system contains data about who owns properties and land in Slovakia and the UGKK is used to record and manage this information about the land and property. All systems have been shut down in response to the attack.
This appears to be a similar exploit to the attacks on Ukraine government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice and the Land Registry over Christmas.
According to reports, the UGKK was hit by a ransomware attack, which involves using a malicious software to usually encrypt data, preventing users from accessing it. Slovakia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the attack on that the offices of the departments would be shut or operate in a limited capacity from January 9.
The case is being dealt with by the Office for the Fight Against Organised Crime, according to the Interior Ministry.
Slovakian Politicians Point Finger at Ukraine as the incident comes amid rising tensions between Slovakia and Ukraine following Kyiv’s suspension of Russian gas transit through Slovakian territory. At a press conference on January 10 the Slovak Republic, Minister of Agriculture, Richard Takáč, said that there is suspicion that the attack originated in Ukraine.
Takáč described the attack as the largest in the history of Slovakia. State Secretary of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation, Ivan Ivančin, said during the press conference that all data is backed up and there is no risk of changes and fraudulent transcriptions of ownership data.
It has been reported that a multimillion Dollar ransom has been demanded to restore the systems and access to the encrypted data.
The UGKK said it will continue to provide updates on its website. Physical offices are set to return in a limited capacity on January 13. Local state officials said the investigation into the attack is ongoing and more details are expected to emerge.
Slovak Spectator | Slovak Spectator | Infosecurity Magazine | Teraz |
Image: Ideogram
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