Head of CSDD's IT Department Māris Puriņš Leaves His Post

Māris Puriņš, head of the Information Technology department at the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) in Latvia, has left his post. The departure matters because the state-owned directorate suffered a major cyberattack and personal data leak this summer. CSDD confirmed Puriņš's exit to the news agency LETA on 6 November.

Mārtiņš Mālmeisters, head of the directorate's Communications department, said the employment relationship ended in mid-October 2026 and gave no further details. A competition for the IT department head position has been announced, and candidates can apply until 15 November.

Asked about the internal investigation into the summer cyber incident, Mālmeisters said the incident had been assessed from an employment-law perspective, evaluating the conduct and duty performance of the employees involved.

Pay and requirements

According to information on the CSDD website, the monthly pay for the position is 6,000–6,500 euros before taxes. The head must lead and develop the department, oversee IT projects and the quality of outsourced IT providers, and plan the budget and strategy. Candidates need a university degree in IT, at least three years of team-management experience, strong knowledge of IT security, proficiency in Latvian and English (at least B2) and readiness to become a state official.

Background of the cyberattack

The cyberattack hit CSDD in the night to 8 August. Data of about 1.2 million people and roughly 200,000 legal entities was obtained, linked to payments made to the directorate over the past 18 years. On 19 August the CSDD council and management board announced their resignations.

The Prosecutor General's Office opened a prosecutor's review into possible violations or negligence, and the State Police launched a criminal case over the attack. Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (Unity party) initiated a disciplinary investigation, including an assessment of CSDD's contract with the company Tet for cybersecurity services.

A Transport Ministry commission concluded that several weaknesses contributed to the leak: incomplete coverage of security checks, insufficient network protection, a lack of multi-factor authentication and flaws in software development. The commission did not assess the responsibility of officials, which falls to law enforcement bodies, and its materials will be sent to them.

CSDD registers vehicles, issues driving licences and carries out vehicle technical inspections. The Ministry of Transport holds its shares.