33 million euros required by the Ministry of Health for cybersecurity equipment renewal

The 32.95 million euros requested by the Ministry of Health (VM) for cybersecurity is necessary for the renewal of outdated technical equipment, including servers, as well as for the improvement of infrastructure, explained Boris Kņigins, Deputy State Secretary for Financial Issues at VM, to the LETA agency.

According to Kņigins, he can only comment generally on the funding needs for urgent measures, as he cannot provide detailed explanations for specific cost items due to restricted access to information.

Kņigins stated that the list of needs was compiled by gathering the requirements of the institutions and capital companies under the ministry's supervision. It includes essential items that must be addressed to ensure that cybersecurity is maintained at an adequate level for daily use.

He explained the large amount specifically for cybersecurity by stating that due to limited resources, not everything currently meets modern requirements. The cybersecurity funding is intended for technical needs, including the renewal of outdated equipment and the improvement of infrastructure.

As an example, Kņigins mentioned the renewal of servers, explaining that due to limited resources, not everything has been possible to renew and purchase in a timely manner. He cited, for instance, the expiration of license terms and pointed out that the institutions under supervision are also obliged to provide new versions of "Windows".

Kņigins emphasized that the compiled needs are not just desirable improvements. They are things that must be ensured for the systems to meet the requirements and be usable in daily operations.