Over the course of the last week, it has become apparent that the Slovak government is grappling with a major cyberattack on the Slovak Land Registry. The ransomware has reportedly locked down their internal systems, and the group in question is demanding a seven digit ransom.
The attack has primarily targeted the so called Elektronický systém katastra nehnuteľností (ESKN) – the electronic land registry. This system is by some accounts going to be inaccessible for some time, possibly measured in months.
One of the key complications that are stretching that recovery time onwards is that reportedly the system was improperly backed up. While in recent days claims have been made that some backups have been discovered, it appears that the ministry does not want to rely purely on these, suggesting they are possibly incomplete.
Lack of backups but no lack of problems
Without the ability to cleanly restore from an up to date and complete backup, the government of Slovakia is faced with a significant conundrum. Paying the ransom is out of the question – among other things there is no guarantee the criminals would actually restore access.
However, without access to the data in the land registry, purchases of property are essentially held at a standstill. What’s worse, if the data is not somehow restored, proving ownership of a given piece of property is likely to become complex.
Backups are an indispensable part of your protection
This incident has become one of the growing list demonstrating the importance of solid backups and maintaining resilience in the face of growing online threats. Unfortunately, many organizations – including as it turns out government structures – may still be running with out-of-date software or other improper systems, exposing themselves and all their stakeholders to increased risk. We will continue to watch the outcome of the cyberattack on the Slovak land registry with interest and inform you of any developments.
Your Data In Your Hands – With TECH-ARROW
