Hacker deletes Romania's land registry database

A hacker erased Romania's entire land registry database, wiping records of ownership and property boundaries, according to Risky Biz [Risky Biz]. The database, maintained by the national cadastre authority, held the official record of every parcel of land in the country.

What was lost

The deletion removed all entries on land titles, ownership histories, and boundary maps. Property owners, businesses, and government agencies that rely on these records for transactions, tax assessments, and legal disputes now face an information vacuum.

Why it matters

The incident demonstrates that critical public infrastructure can be compromised by a single breach, exposing the lack of effective backup and disaster‑recovery procedures. Without recent backups, the government must reconstruct the registry from fragmented sources, a process that could take months and stall property‑related services.

Government response

Romanian officials announced an investigation and said they are partnering with cybersecurity experts to trace the attacker and restore the data where possible [Risky Biz]. The ministry emphasized the need to review existing security protocols and to implement stronger safeguards for other essential databases.

The hack underscores the urgency for governments to adopt robust cybersecurity measures, maintain up‑to‑date backups, and test incident‑response plans regularly.