Ministry: PS Doesn't Back Up Its Claims about Traffic Cameras with Evidence

Bratislava, 17 August (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party is not backing up its claims regarding speed cameras with evidence and is confusing the technical risks that have been identified with the claim that citizens have been monitored and their data misused, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry Matej Neumann told TASR on Monday in response to PS's press conference held earlier in the day. "Security risks should be assessed on the basis of expert findings and addressed through cooperation, swift action and specific measures, not through simplistic political interpretations," he said. Neumann also reiterated that the two test devices hadn't been put into live operation or used to issue fines. According to him, they weren't connected to the ministry's secure databases. "The Interior Ministry can unequivocally assure the public that it will never allow devices of unclear origin or with unresolved security risks to be connected to live systems. Only certified and security-vetted equipment with a clearly documented origin, which meets all applicable legal, technical and cyber security requirements of the Slovak Republic and the European Union, will be used," stated the ministry's spokesman. Progressive Slovakia reported on Monday that it is filing a criminal complaint in connection with the speed cameras that the National Security Bureau (NBU) last week described as a significant cyber-security threat. The party also called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to comment on the findings regarding the speed cameras and to dismiss Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD). Last Friday (14 August), NBU published a warning in connection with three devices, i.e. NERO R-ONE speed cameras (manufactured by SODASUS, Cyprus), Cordon series meters for measuring the speed of motor vehicles (manufactured by Simicon, Russia), and Cordon series speed meters (manufactured by NEROline, Croatia), as they represent a significant cyber-security threat. System operators were also advised to check whether their infrastructure contains such devices. Sutaj Estok accused Soitron of lying to him when it maintained that the cameras weren't of Russian origin. According to him, an analysis found Russian components in them, and cooperation with the company was discontinued. Soitron rejected the minister's statements, claiming that it had provided the ministry with the information available to it at the time. The opposition is demanding that Sutaj Estok should resign. The case is being investigated by law-enforcement bodies, while Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka has instructed the Bratislava Prosecutor's Office to examine the matter. am