Over 600,000 Personal Records Leaked in Lithuania; PM Refuses to Resign

VILNIUS (CNA) - A major cybersecurity incident recently occurred in Lithuania, with over 600,000 real estate registration records at the Centre of Registers being illegally accessed. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated that the government will not resign over this data breach, emphasizing that resigning at this time 'would be the best gift to the enemy.' According to Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), a serious data breach occurred at the Centre of Registers, sparking criticism from the opposition regarding the government's handling of the situation and failure to inform the public in a timely manner. After consulting with the Ministers of Economy, Defense, and the Interior, Ruginiene told the media that the government will not shirk its responsibility, but the current priority is to solve the problem rather than resign. According to reports, regarding the questioning of delayed information disclosure, Ruginiene pointed out that she was aware of the data theft in early April, but could not disclose it publicly due to the ongoing pre-trial investigation. She emphasized that the relevant procedures were led by the Prosecutor General's Office, and the government had to wait for the prosecution to announce it before speaking. According to Lithuanian media Delfi, hackers used login accounts from the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior to hack into the Centre of Registers and steal data. Delfi asked the Director of the Migration Department, but the department declined to comment. The Chief of the Lithuanian Criminal Police confirmed that hackers used Migration Department accounts to infiltrate the Centre of Registers and steal hundreds of thousands of records. LRT reported that according to the prosecution's preliminary investigation, hackers used accounts related to the Migration Department to access the system from abroad. The leaked data includes real estate registration information and personal identification numbers. The prosecution is continuing to investigate how the perpetrators obtained access rights and whether other systems were affected. The chairman of the opposition 'Homeland Union' posted on Facebook that the leaked data might include sensitive information about intelligence officers, military personnel, politicians, diplomats, and civil servants, as well as private individuals and companies, and hinted that the incident might have the characteristics of a Russian intelligence operation. Ruginiene revealed that her own and her family's personal data were also leaked, stating, 'I fully understand the feelings of the victims; this is unacceptable.' In addition, the Speaker of the Seimas stated that his personal data was not affected, while the President could not confirm whether his data was leaked due to system technical issues.