Slovakia Hit by Historic Cyber-Attack on Land Registry

A large-scale cyber-attack originating from outside Slovakia’s borders has hit the information system of the Office of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre of the Slovak Republic (UGKK).

The UGKK is used by the cadastral departments to record and manage information about land and property.

All systems have been shut down as a response to the incident.

Slovakia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the attack on January 8 and said that the offices of the cadastral 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 Organized Crime, according to the Interior Ministry.

Slovakian Politicians Point Finger at Ukraine  

At a press conference on January 10, reported by Slovakian news agency Teraz.sk, which followed a meeting of the Extraordinary Security Council of the Slovak Republic, Minister of Agriculture, Richard Takáč, said that there is suspicion that the attack originated in Ukraine.

Speaking to Infosecurity, cyber policy expert from Slovakia and New America Fellow, Pavlina Pavlova, said that while the Slovakian government is politicizing the attack, swift system recovery is the key concern for citizens right now.

The comments from Slovakia’s political representatives come amidst a dispute over gas supply to the nation after Ukraine halted the supply of gas from Russia to EU states via its land on January 1. On January 8, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, was reported to have secured a deal with Russia to supply gas to the country. 

“No details about the perpetrators have been disclosed, yet government representatives, including the Prime Minister, compared the cyber-attack on the Slovakian land registry to an attack on Russia and spoke of a possible Ukrainian trace as a leading investigation angle,” Pavlova said.

Takáč said during the press conference that a similar incident targeted Russia on January 8 and 9.

It has been reported that a seven-digit dollar ransom has been demanded to restore the systems and access to the encrypted data.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization, 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.

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.

Largest Cyber-Attack in Slovakia’s History

Takáč described the attack as the largest in the history of Slovakia during the press conference.

Various facilities that depend on land registry data to deliver services have reportedly been disrupted.

“The impacts are already felt gravely among citizens,” Pavlova said.

“The ransomware attack has disrupted the work of municipalities and all who depend on land registry data to deliver public services. The real estate and mortgage markets are paralyzed, property transactions are stalled, purchases delayed, and some connected public services, such as issuing parking permits in Bratislava, are rendered inaccessible.”

She urged that in times of in times of emergency, which this large-scale disruption definitely poses, governments must focus on full recovery and timely information to the citizens.

European law firm, Kinstellar, noted that the cyber-attack would significantly impact real estate services in the country.

Takáč said the incident will not affect the property of ordinary people in Slovakia.

Pavlova briefed the European Parliament in 2024 about how public administrations were among the main targets for cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure, which have intensified since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

“The deliberate targeting of critical civilian infrastructure essential to populations has profoundly changed the security environment, including beyond the borders of the two belligerent states. Both the targeting of critical infrastructures and the spill-over effects on civilians not directly involved in the conflict are undermining the norms-based international order,” she commented