Authority
The National Security Authority is the central government body for Protection of Classified Information, Cryptographic Services, Trust Services and Cyber Security.
The establishment of the National Security Authority has historical connections to the negotiations for Slovakia’s accession into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which required the creation of an independent institution responsible for protecting classified information and cryptographic protection of information. The Authority commenced its activities on November 1st, 2001 and smoothly took over the activities from its predecessor, the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic.
The Authority has been assigned with new tasks and roles gradually over time. The Authority expanded its activities in 2002 to include electronic signature, from 2015 to 2018, it provided the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic with dossiers used in the vetting process for judicial eligibility, and in 2016 the Authority assumed responsibility for cyber security matters in Slovakia.
The most recent change was brought on by the European Regulation concerning electronic identification and trust services (eIDAS) and the Act on Trust Services, with accordance to the use of the electronic signature and other related services, covered by the summary term “trust services”.
On April 1, 2018, the Legal Act on Cybersecurity came into force, which comprehensively regulates the issue of cyber security and information security in the Slovak Republic.