Experts have discovered that data from the computers connected to the Czech Presidential Office Administration network were being sent abroad for the last several months.
It’s currently unclear what kind of information the hackers obtained. The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection (ÚOOÚ), which is handling the case, explained that the security breach concerns a company providing services to the Presidential Office Administration.
President Miloš Zeman’s spokesman, Jiří Ovčáček, did not comment on the situation. Similarly, the National Cyber and Information Security Authority (NÚKIB), the National Centre for Combating Organized Crime (NCOZ), and Military Intelligence (VZ) refused to say whether they are dealing with the case.
Several years ago, police also dealt with an alleged hack attack on President Miloš Zeman’s computer.
According to the president, hackers then uploaded child pornography on his computer. In the spring of 2017, however, police authorities closed the investigation, stating that no infringement had been detected.
The spokesman of the president then said that no sensitive or secret information could have escaped because Zeman uses his computer only for internet browsing, but he does not use email or store anything on the computer.
“If it is confirmed that, for months, data from Prague Castle Administration leaked abroad, it would be a very serious situation and a breach of cybersecurity. The planned digitization of the state and public administration will require a lot of attention to avoid a similar thing happening with citizens’ data,” said Petr Loužecký of IT services provider company Algotech.
