Four out of five Slovaks have experienced extreme weather. Is our critical infrastructure ready?

26. februára 2026

When people talk about climate change, most discussions revolve around the environment. Less is said about the fact that it is also a question of how the state functions — the stability of electricity and water supplies, the operation of transport and digital networks. In other words, the basic systems on which everyday life depends. Climate change is increasingly making itself felt in our geographical conditions and is testing the resilience of critical infrastructure. Extremes are no longer exceptional.

According to a survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB Climate Survey 2024), as many as 87% of Slovaks stated that they had experienced at least one extreme weather event in the past five years, such as heatwaves, drought, or severe storms. Nearly 30% of respondents recorded direct consequences, such as power outages or disrupted transport.

The year 2022 was one of the driest in Slovakia's modern history. In some areas, drought lasted more than 200 days. Summers are increasingly bringing repeated heatwaves, and intense storms are causing localised damage to roads, bridges, and railway lines. These are trends also confirmed by climatologists from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Reality shows that climate risks are no longer exceptional events, but a regular part of the environment in which critical infrastructure operates.

Energy under new pressure

Climate extremes are arriving at a time when the energy system faces growing demands. Over the past decade, the number of devices and systems requiring stable and high energy output has increased significantly. These technologies include the massive expansion of electric vehicles and fast-charging stations, the growing number of data centres and cloud services, artificial intelligence systems with considerable computational demands, as well as air conditioning units in homes and businesses. Energy consumption in buildings has grown by approximately half since 2014, mainly due to higher demand for cooling and increased use of digital devices. This means the electricity grid is under greater strain precisely during heatwaves — at a time when extreme temperatures can reduce the efficiency of certain technical equipment. These are not dramatic scenarios, but a gradual increase in demands on grid stability and the need for its ongoing modernisation.

Critical infrastructure designed for long decades

Bridges, substations, railway lines, and water structures are built to last for decades. Many of them, however, were constructed during a period when different climatic parameters were assumed than those of today. For this reason, it is essential that new projects as well as reconstructions of existing systems take into account the conditions we can expect in the coming years. Investments in critical infrastructure have a long return horizon — and it is precisely for this reason that they also require long-term planning. Resilience in this context does not mean only the physical reinforcement of structures. It also means better risk analysis, updated scenarios, and ongoing assessments of preparedness.

The need for coordination and an expert approach

Critical infrastructure in Slovakia is divided among dozens of operators — both public and private. Climate risks affect all sectors simultaneously. It is therefore important to have professional cooperation and information exchange across the energy, transport, water management, and digital network sectors. An expert platform such as the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic (AKI SR) has long been providing a systematic expert approach to risk assessment and resilience planning. Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic (AKI SR) also coordinates the sharing of experience among critical entities and increases their preparedness for various types of risks. Members of AKI SR have access to professional training and practical consultations, enabling them to respond effectively to risks and ensure the continuity of essential services.

The security of critical infrastructure today does not mean only protection against intentional threats. It also means the ability to keep critical systems functioning in an environment that is gradually changing. Climate change does not arrive suddenly. It is a long-term process that places new demands on planning, investment, and coordination. Preparedness and cooperation are the key to increasing the resilience of critical infrastructure in a changing world.

When data centres consume the energy of an entire city: A new challenge for Slovakia's critical infrastructure

27. mája 2026
Until a few years ago, data centres were mostly perceived as the technical backbone of the internet, cloud services and corporate servers. Today, however, the situation is changing dramatically. The rapid development of artificial intelligence, massive generative AI models and the accelerating digitalisation of states mean that data centres are becoming among the largest new consumers of electricity in Europe.

Keď dátové centrá spotrebujú energiu celého mesta: Nová výzva pre kritickú infraštruktúru Slovenska

27. mája 2026
Ešte pred niekoľkými rokmi boli dátové centrá vnímané najmä ako technické zázemie internetu, cloudových služieb a firemných serverov. Dnes sa však situácia dramaticky mení. Prudký rozvoj umelej inteligencie, masívne modely generatívnej AI a rastúca digitalizácia štátov spôsobujú, že dátové centrá sa stávajú jedným z najväčších nových odberateľov elektrickej energie v Európe. 

Introducing the Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Postal Services

25. mája 2026
The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic continues its series of articles introducing both the public and the professional community to the individual sectors of critical infrastructure as defined by Act No. 367/2025 Coll. on Critical Infrastructure and on Amendments to Certain Acts. Following sectors such as energy, transport and finance, we now turn to a sector that is part of the daily life of citizens as well as the functioning of the state – postal services.

Predstavujeme sektory kritickej infraštruktúry: Poštové služby

25. mája 2026
Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky pokračuje v sérii článkov, ktorými verejnosti aj odbornej obci predstavuje jednotlivé sektory kritickej infraštruktúry definované zákonom č. 367/2025 Z. z. o kritickej infraštruktúre a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov. Po sektoroch ako energetika, doprava či financie sa tentoraz venujeme sektoru, ktorý je súčasťou každodenného života občanov aj fungovania štátu – poštovým službám.

The biggest security risk may not be inside your company: supply chains and post-quantum cryptography are changing the rules for protecting critical infrastructure

21. mája 2026
Until recently, the security of critical infrastructure was associated mainly with the protection of physical facilities, energy sources, or state systems. Today, however, it is increasingly clear that the real vulnerability often lies outside the organisation itself: in its supply chains, technology partners, and external services.

Najväčšie bezpečnostné riziko nemusí byť vo vašej firme: dodávateľské reťazce a postkvantová kryptografia menia pravidlá ochrany kritickej infraštruktúry

21. mája 2026
Ešte donedávna sa bezpečnosť kritickej infraštruktúry spájala najmä s ochranou fyzických objektov, energetických zdrojov či štátnych systémov. Dnes však čoraz jasnejšie vidíme, že skutočná zraniteľnosť sa často nachádza mimo samotnej organizácie: v jej dodávateľských reťazcoch, technologických partneroch a externých službách.

Umelá inteligencia v rukách útočníkov: nová generácia hrozieb pre kritickú infraštruktúru

18. mája 2026
V januári 2024 zamestnanec finančnej spoločnosti v Hongkongu uskutočnil prevod v hodnote 25 miliónov amerických dolárov. Urobil tak po videokonferencii s finančným riaditeľom a kolegami z centrály, ktorá pôsobila úplne autenticky. Na konferencii však bol jediný skutočný človek on sám. Ostatní účastníci boli deepfake repliky vygenerované generatívnou umelou inteligenciou na základe verejne dostupných záznamov. Tento prípad, zdokumentovaný hongkonskou políciou, neoznámil príchod novej hrozby. Oznámil, že hrozba je už tu a funguje v produkčnom režime.

Two Members of AKI SR Are Taking Slovak Research into Space: The COSMOS-SECURE Project Will Bring Post-Quantum Secure Voice Communication for Space Missions

13. mája 2026
The Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic is proud to present the success of two of its members, Decent Cybersecurity s. r. o. and FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services s. r. o., which have jointly secured funding for the four-year research and development project COSMOS-SECURE. The project, with total eligible expenditures of EUR 4,144,273.37 and a requested non-repayable financial contribution of EUR 2,981,048.65, focuses on an area that, until recently, belonged mainly to major space agencies: secure voice communication between ground stations, satellites, and spacecraft crews in an era when quantum computers are beginning to challenge the existing foundations of cryptography.

Dvaja členovia AKI SR posúvajú slovenský výskum do vesmíru: projekt COSMOS-SECURE prinesie postkvantovú bezpečnú hlasovú komunikáciu pre vesmírne misie

13. mája 2026
Asociácia kritickej infraštruktúry Slovenskej republiky s hrdosťou predstavuje úspech dvoch svojich členov, spoločností Decent Cybersecurity s. r. o. a FREQUENTIS Solutions & Services s. r. o., ktoré spoločne získali financovanie pre štvorročný výskumno-vývojový projekt COSMOS-SECURE. Projekt s celkovými oprávnenými výdavkami vo výške 4 144 273,37 € a požadovanou výškou nenávratného finančného príspevku 2 981 048,65 € sa zameriava na to, čo bolo donedávna doménou veľkých vesmírnych agentúr: bezpečnú hlasovú komunikáciu medzi pozemnými strediskami, satelitmi a posádkami vesmírnych lodí v ére, keď kvantové počítače začínajú spochybňovať existujúce kryptografické základy.

July 2026 will decide: Slovakia identifies the list of critical entities

12. mája 2026
The Slovak Republic is in the final phase of a process that is fundamentally changing the approach to the protection of critical infrastructure. In accordance with Act No. 367/2024 Coll. on Critical Infrastructure, the list of entities that will be officially identified as critical for the functioning of the state is to be completed in July 2026. This step represents one of the most important milestones in the implementation of the new regulatory framework, the aim of which is to increase the resilience of key systems to crises, cyber threats and service outages. A new framework of responsibility Inclusion among the critical entities will not be of a merely formal nature. For the organisations concerned, it will mean the introduction of precisely defined obligations in the area of risk management, security measures, incident management and the very continuity of the provision of essential services within the meaning of the Act. For many entities, this represents a fundamental change in the approach to security, which will require systematic preparation even before the actual inclusion in the list. Growing interest of companies in the regulation Already in this period it is evident that potentially affected entities are beginning to intensively follow the development of the legislation and of the implementing rules being prepared. The reason is the need to set up internal processes in good time, so that the transition to the new regime can take place without major operational complications. The growing demanding nature of the requirements is at the same time increasing the demand for expert guidance and methodological support. The role of the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic In this context, the Critical Infrastructure Association of the Slovak Republic (AKI SR) plays a significant role, as it has long been creating a professional platform for cooperation between the state sector, regulators and operators of essential services across all sectors of critical infrastructure, such as for example energy, transport, healthcare or digital infrastructure. As Tibor Straka, President of AKI SR, states: “The process of identifying critical entities is not merely a legislative obligation. It is the moment that determines how resilient the state will be in real crisis situations.” The Association points out in this connection that the period before the final inclusion in the list is the most important one for organisations from the point of view of preparation and adaptation. Room for timely preparation Companies that may be part of the list of critical entities currently have a unique opportunity to prepare for the new obligations systematically and well in advance. In this area, AKI SR provides expert support, methodological guidance and a platform for the sharing of experience between the individual sectors. Cooperation as the foundation of resilience The implementation of the new system for the protection of critical infrastructure will be successful only if it is built on close cooperation between the public and the private sector. In this respect, AKI SR is developing a systematic dialogue with the central bodies of state administration that exercise state administration in the individual segments of critical infrastructure. With many of them, the Association has concluded memoranda of cooperation, which makes possible a more effective interconnection of expert capacities, the exchange of information and coordination in addressing key security topics. In the process, AKI SR thus acts as a natural communication and expert bridge between the regulator and the entities of critical infrastructure, while helping to connect legislative requirements with their practical implementation in the individual sectors. A new stage in the protection of critical systems The finalisation of the list of critical entities in July 2026 represents a fundamental step in the modernisation of the system for strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure in Slovakia. The new legislative framework sets clearer rules, but at the same time significantly raises the demands placed on the preparedness of the organisations concerned. The outcome of the entire process will depend on how well it is possible to align the regulation with the reality of the operation of critical entities.