Concerns raised over IT security ahead of Saeima elections

With roughly a month remaining before Latvia's 15th Saeima elections, questions have emerged about the security of the information technology systems that will be used during the vote. The topic was discussed on the program "Spried ar Delfi" by Alekss Ļevšunovs, a BDA lecturer and artificial intelligence expert, together with Edgars Tavars, the minister for smart administration and regional development.

Concerns rooted in past experience

Ļevšunovs said the unease surrounding election system security stems partly from problems observed last year in municipal election IT systems, as well as from recent cyber incidents affecting other state information systems. He pointed to recent situations involving the Consumer Rights Protection Centre and the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) as examples that give grounds for concern about the overall resilience of state IT infrastructure.

The minister's assessment

Minister Edgars Tavars offered a different view, stating that election systems are being repeatedly and regularly tested. He said he currently has no reason to doubt their security, using the figurative expression that he has "not a single orange light flashing" — meaning no warning signals about potential problems have currently been detected.

The discussion reflects broader public interest in digital security within state administration systems as a major democratic process approaches. The question of IT system reliability has become more prominent following several incidents at other state institutions, which have sparked wider discussion about the state of cybersecurity overall.