Good evening. Here is the Thursday, January 9 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in a few minutes.
Land Registry crippled by foreign cyber attack
A citizen is being told that the Land Registry office is closed. (source: TASR)
The Land Registry Office has been crippled by a large-scale cyber attack from abroad. It contains data about who owns properties and land.
What is going on: The Office of Geodesy, Cartography and Land Registry (UGKK) have been unavailable since Tuesday and individual workplaces have been closed as well for the time being. However, according to Denník N, the Finsider website had reported already on Monday that the attack was underway.
Interior Ministry confirmed the situation later on Wednesday.
PM Robert Fico (Smer), who is in Bruseels, said on Thursday that the Security Council will meet on Friday. Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok promised to provide more detailed information following the meeting.
The nature of the attack: According to unofficial information, the office was hit by a ransomware attack, which involves using a malicious software to usually encrypt data, preventing users from accessing it. The attacker then demands money in exchange for decryption. In the case of the Land Registry Office attack, hackers are supposedly asking millions of euros. Even then it is not guaranteed that the decryption will be provided.
On Thursday, UGKK chairman Juraj Celler said that no alterations to the database are being made, neither the owners nor ownership relationships are being changed. The crisis management team is working to restore the system as soon as possible. According to him, the attack was identified on Sunday and the resolution to the issue was immediately launched. The system was disconnected from external networks.
"Given the fact that the office has multi-layered backups, it is able to restore data for providing critical services from secondary backups. However, these currently must be secured, checked and identified to ensure their integrity. Only then will it be possible to restore and put them into operation," stated a member of the response team Lukáš Hlavička, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
However, the Živé.sk website reports that UGKK is missing the complex backups that would allow quick recovery, and the backups available do not allow for a quick recovery. It might take weeks and months to repair the damage. There is also a chance that the state does not have complete data.
According to the website's sources, this might be one of the worst, or possibly the worst cyber attack in the country's history.
The reactions: The opposition lambasted the coalition, especially Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, about the situation. Progressive Slovakia chair Michal Šimečka called it "an absolute scandal" and called on PM Robert Fico to dismiss Matúš Šutaj Eštok. The party will also seek to dismiss Eštok in the parliament.
KDH called on relevant authorities to immediately report on the current situation and assure the general public. SaS called the attack a "fundamental failure of Robert Fico's government", blamed the Interior Minister for being silent about it, and wanted the Security Council to meet on Thursday.
According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, the minister bears no responsibility for the issue, as UGKK, which ultimately handles the data, is not a part of the ministry. The minister also blamed the opposition for "not knowing how how the state works". Still, the individual Land Registry workplaces fall under the ministry's client centres.
Related: According to the Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia (ZMOS), the attack has severely interfered with the functioning of towns and municipalities. By not being able to access land registry data, they are paralysed when providing services crucial to proper operation and legal obligations. In Bratislava, the attack has impacted the PAAS parking system, specifically the automatic issuing of parking cards and extending their validity. However, both can still be done by asking for it.
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FEATURE STORY
King of Slovak fairy tales
The village of Slavošovce in the historic Gemer region, southeastern Slovakia. (source: Branislav Chovan)
The postcard above dates to World War II and shows the small town of Slavošovce in the Gemer region. No discussion of Slavošovce would be complete without mentioning Pavol Dobšinský, a famous 19th century Slovak purveyor of culture who was born in the village in 1828, and who is closely connected with Slovakia's history and culture.
EVENTS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Three events for free
Illustrative image. (source: TASR)
Are you looking for some interesting activities to take part in, preferably free of charge? We've got you covered! You can join conversational French sessions with a native speaker or discover the beauty of Slovak and Ukrainian at an embroidery workshop. Find out more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
PM Robert Fico (Smer) has urged Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Hlas) to urgently resolve the issue regarding the electronic prescriptions service. According to Fico, Sasko said that the ministry is taking measures to ensure that the service will be available again on Friday at the latest. At the end of last year, MPs passed an amendment to the National Health Information System Act. From the start of the new year, patients are being required to visit their doctors in person for some prescription medications, instead of handling the process electronically. (TASR)
After the talks with EC representatives in Brussels regarding potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine in response to halting gas transit, PM Robert Fico warned that Slovakia might stop all humanitarian aid to Ukraine, significantly reduce or completely withdraw benefits for Ukrainian war refugees in the country, or halt electricity supplies in emergency situations. Slovakia might make use of its right to veto when it comes to a number of decisions in the European Union, the PM also said. However, Slovakia will resort to these measures if left without any option. According to Fico, a special group will be formed to resolve the dispute and will include representatives of Slovakia, the EC and probably also Ukraine. (TASR)
On Thursday, firefighters saved a sinking German Cargo ship on the Danube River. Water was pouring in into the ship through a hole in the front. The ship was then anchored in the Bratislava Cargo port. There were no injuries to people and there was no threat to the environment. (source: TASR)
Slovak ice-hockey players lost the quarterfinal game against the US team 9:1 at the 2025 U18 Women's World Championship in Finland. Slovaks were the first team to score a goal against the US team in this championship. Young star Nela Lopušanová was involved in all of her team's goals during the championship. Slovaks are going to play one final game to see whether they remain in the elite category. (IIHF)
Slovak biathlete Anastasia Kuzmina finished 31st in the Women's 7.5 km sprint at the BMW IBU World Cup in Oberhof, Germany, and qualified for Saturday's 10 km pursuit. This was Kuzmina's first start in this season's world cup. Biathletes Ema Kapustová and Mária Remeňová placed 62nd and 64th, respectively. (Sportnet)
The policed accused the 48-year-old man detained in Košice during an anti-terror operation on Tuesday of illegal armament, arms trafficking, and the crime of certain forms of participation in terrorism. Known as the "Košice MacGyver," the man had allegedly promoted violence, shared extremist left-wing content, and posted weapon-making instructions online. He was also arrested in 2021. (TASR)
The Culture Ministry cancelled the free entry every first Wednesday of a month into museums and galleries, citing optimisation of costs and sustainability of cultural institutions. (TASR)
Ice skaters and ice-hockey players on the frozen Môťová water reservoir near Zvolen, central Slovakia. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: The cloud cover will change throughout the day, with rain expected in many places, snowfall in higher altitudes. Daily temperatures will rise to between -1 °C to 7 °C.
Several weather warnings have been issued: level 1 wind warning applies for west and south-west, level 1 snowdrift warning for north, central and east, and level 2 wind in mountain warning for the High Tatras. (SHMÚ)
JANUARY 10 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Dáša
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