Filenews 10 March 2023
Technicians are working feverishly to restore the operation of the Land Registry portal after the cyberattack that appears to have occurred, said the Director of the Department of Lands and Surveys Helikkos Elias, stressing that it is difficult to say that the gate will return to normality on Monday.
"The technicians will be working today, tonight and over the weekend and hopefully we will be able to proceed with a gradual restoration. We have not made the decision yet and I think it is possible that we will decide on Sunday whether we will be able to operate gradually," Mr. Elias said, adding that "it will be difficult to say that on Monday we will return to normality."
Asked what kind of attack the Land Registry gate has been subjected to, Mr. Elias said that there are some suspicions, adding that it seems that the technicians carrying out the checks did not exactly identify the location of the problem. "They will have to continue the checks to locate her," he added.
Asked if a ransom has been demanded, Mr. Elias said he is aware that in such cases such an issue can be raised, but added that he himself cannot confirm or deny it. "It is better to let the investigation end, I have constant communication with the Director General of the Ministry of Interior, and the Minister is also informed," he said.
"It looks like we're going to need some more time. I can't determine for sure exactly when we will operate, even if it's gradual and when," he said.
Expressing the hope that the gate will reopen as soon as possible, Mr. Elias said that "we are ready to bring colleagues on Sunday to do some testing."
"We understand what the system means to the economy, it is a key system for the economy of the country and we hope to be able to bring it to its normality," he concluded.
