Slovakia's Speed Cameras Found With a Russian Backdoor
Slovakia's national security service (NBU) issued a security alert against NERO R-1 high-speed traffic cameras after discovering a backdoor mechanism granting shell and network access via SMS from a list of hard-coded Russian phone numbers. The cameras are a rebadged CORDON PRO.M model built by St Petersburg-based Semantics, and were procured under a EUR 30 million EU-funded project after Slovak media linked the supplier to a Cyprus-domiciled shell company.
Key Facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | NERO R-1 high-speed traffic cameras (rebadged CORDON PRO.M) |
| Backdoor | Shell and network access via SMS from hard-coded Russian phone numbers |
| Vendor | Semantics (St Petersburg) |
| Procurement | EUR 30m EU-funded project; supplier linked to a Cyprus-domiciled shell company |
| Authority | NBU security alert |
Significance for AU/NZ
The lesson is structural, not just Slovak: traffic-enforcement and smart-city camera fleets are OT infrastructure, and procurement must treat foreign-controlled management channels as a risk requiring verification and contractual backstops. Australian state and territory operators run large fleets of enforcement and smart-city cameras, often through single-supplier contracts — verify the whole delivery chain, not just the label.