All speed and red light cameras to be frozen after computer virus

THE state government will stop issuing fines on all fixed red light and speed cameras across Victoria - after fears a computer virus may have infected its entire fixed camera system.

THE state government will stop issuing fines on all fixed red light and speed cameras across Victoria - after fears a computer virus may have infected its entire fixed camera system.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Doug Fryer today said as many as 8000 speeding and red light tickets would be frozen until the accuracy of the cameras was confirmed.

“We have had a foreign body, a virus introduced in to our system, and that is not good,” Mr Fryer said.

But the state’s redlight and speed cameras would continue to operate as normal until the software problem is fixed, Mr Fryer said.

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Government IT experts will work to determine how many cameras have been affected. Picture: Paul Loughnan

However, no fines will be issued to speeding motorists for up to several weeks, while government IT experts work to determine how many cameras have been affected by a ransomware virus.

Images of speeding motorist will still be captured and fines could be issued in the future - after the emergency audit of 280 fixed cameras is completed.

Police Minister Lisa Neville said the government contract with camera operator RedFlex would be examined to see if the government could seek compensation for the blunder.

Ms Neville said the virus was introduced by a single USB stick that was used to update cameras undergoing routine maintenance.

Ms Neville said she was disappointed the camera operators did not tell the government that 44 cameras were malfunctioning when they discovered the problem on June 15.

RedFlex only came for when the Department of Justice discovered another 55 malfunctioning cameras on June 19.

The unprecedented decision follows the detection of the WannaCry virus in up to 80 fixed cameras.

The move follows the cancellation yesterday of some 590 fines between June 6 and June 22 from some 55 cameras first known to be affected by the ransomware, which in May shut down the UK’s heath system.