The cyber-attack on the Office of Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre (ÚGKK) of the Slovak Republic has caused significant disruption to their operations. The attack, which originated from abroad, led to a temporary shutdown of the cadastral departments’ workplaces as the impact of the incident is being assessed and resolved. Currently, all services provided by the ÚGKK are offline as a result of the compromise of their systems.
Experts have identified the cyber-attack as a ransomware attack, where the attackers have encrypted critical data and are demanding a substantial ransom to unlock access to it. Since January 6, 2025, the electronic services of the land registry have been unavailable, prompting employees to refrain from using their computers during this period. This disruption has affected the work of the cadastral departments, which play a crucial role in registering property ownership changes based on legal documents.
In response to the attack, the ÚGKK has announced that the cadastral departments will be operating at a limited capacity starting from January 9, 2025, while recovery efforts are ongoing. Despite the temporary closure of the offices, authorities are actively investigating the situation and working with cybersecurity experts to minimize the damage and restore normal operations. The incident has raised concerns about the security of national data, prompting proactive measures to prevent future cyber threats.
To address the cyber-attack, an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee responsible for reviewing the activities of the National Security Office has been scheduled for January 14, 2025. The directors of both the National Security Office and the Office of Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre are expected to attend this meeting. The Slovak government is implementing measures to ensure a comprehensive response to the ransomware attack and to safeguard critical national infrastructure from potential cyber threats.
The impact of the cyber-attack on the ÚGKK serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by cyber threats to government agencies and essential services. It highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure from malicious actors. As recovery efforts continue and investigations progress, authorities are working diligently to restore normal operations and prevent similar incidents in the future.