Slovak Parliamentary Committee to address land registry issues amid cybersecurity concerns

The Parliamentary Committee for the Control of the Activities of the National Security Authority (NBÚ) is set to investigate ongoing issues with Slovakia’s land register, including concerns over potential cyberattacks. The committee meeting, called by its chairman Roman Mikulec (For the People, KÚ), will include the participation of Roman Konečný, Director of the NBÚ, and Juraj Celler, Director of the Office of Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre (ÚGKK). However, the exact date for the meeting has not yet been announced.

Mikulec, addressing the issue on social media, criticized the lack of transparency from the coalition and the Ministry of the Interior. He stated that the directors would be asked to explain the root causes of the land registry’s problems, whether these issues stem from cyberattacks, and why the cadastre remains non-operational. “We will demand answers about how citizens’ data is being protected and why such a vital system like the cadastre is failing in the 21st century, leaving citizens feeling vulnerable,” Mikulec remarked.

Opposition voices have echoed these concerns. Ján Hargaš (Progressive Slovakia, PS) noted the Ministry of the Interior’s ongoing digitization project but criticized the lack of communication regarding potential cybersecurity threats. “The absence of clear communication on this matter undermines public trust in the government’s ability to protect citizens’ data,” Hargaš stated.

The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) also called on Interior Minister Matúš Šut’ito (Voice-SD) to publicly address rumors of a cyberattack on the cadastre. Viliam Karas, Vice-President of KDH, urged Šut’ito to confirm or deny reports that hackers may have encrypted cadastral data, rendering it inaccessible to the state. “Given the serious implications for national security, the public must be informed immediately about whether their property rights are at risk and whether the government has control over the situation,” Karas said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Presidium of the Police Force announced that the Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime (ÚBOK) has launched an investigation into suspected tampering with the cadastre’s computer systems.

The cadastre has been non-operational since Tuesday, January 7, with limited services initially promised in the following days. However, a statement on the ÚGKK website indicated that the system remained inaccessible as of Wednesday. The office further noted that a limited-service regime is expected to be in place from January 9, 2025, at cadastral departments of district offices.

Source: TASR