WannaCry virus: Police Minister Lisa Neville kept in the dark over ransomware speed camera chaos

POLICE Minister Lisa Neville was twice kept in the dark over the ransomware speed camera chaos as it emerged it could be several weeks until the state’s 280 fixed cameras are fully operational again.

Hundreds of Tickets Cancelled After Victoria's Speed Cameras Infected With Software Virus. Credit — Victoria Police via Storyful Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer and Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville. Picture Norm Oorloff

• Fines withdrawn after speed camera virus
• Speeding fine freeze amid virus fears

VICTORIA’S traffic enforcement system is in chaos with a freeze on all red-light and fixed-camera speeding fines issued since June 6.

The system has been brought to a standstill after a maintenance man with a USB stick infected the cameras with a suspected North Korean computer virus.

The state government has said it could be several weeks until the state’s 280 fixed cameras are fully operational again.

It has warned motorists they could still be photographed if they break the law, and issued with a fine at a later date.

Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville addresses the media. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Last night, as law enforcement and government officials came to terms with the massive task to get the cameras back on line, the Sunday Herald Sun learned Police Minister Lisa Neville was twice kept in the dark over the problems.

The discovery of the WannaCry ransomware virus on ­almost 100 cameras saw police yesterday announce a halt on fines from all fixed-speed cameras.

It can be revealed the independent camera tester inserted the infected USB stick into cameras on-site as part of routine servicing on June 6.

While investigations will focus on how a suspected North Korean virus came to be on the USB stick, Ms Neville has also demanded an immediate review of testing and maintenance protocols.

A clearly frustrated Ms ­Neville yesterday said she first learned of the problem from the media and only became aware of its full extent on Friday after both her department and camera manufacturer Redflex failed to report the issue when it first occurred.

“It was absolutely critical for public confidence in our red-light and speed camera system that all 280 of our cameras would be subject to an investigation by the Road Safety Camera Commissioner,” Ms Neville said yesterday.

Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Ms Neville said she did not believe there had been any wider impact from the camera infections as the system was not linked to the internet and all the cameras had now been “swept and cleansed and patched”.

Ms Neville said camera commissioner John Voyage’s investigation would look at how the infected USB stick came to be used, where the virus may have spread to, which cameras were affected and whether the accuracy of any had been compromised.

She said she had also instructed him to look at the possible need to strengthen camera maintenance protocols and oversight of the work, both with contractors and within the Department of Justice.

Red light and speed camera at Swan St. Picture: Norm Oorloff

The state’s top traffic cop, Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer, warned motorists that while tickets would not be issued until the system was given the all-clear, the cameras would still be operating.

“They will be capturing people who are speeding, they will be capturing people who go through red lights — but those tickets will be held in abeyance until that review has been completed,” he said.

“There is no evidence at all that the integrity of the speeds detected have been compromised at all.

“We are being overly cautious here because we need to ensure our road safety camera system is 100 per cent pure.”

Mr Fryer said there was no evidence at all that the integrity of the speeds detected had been compromised and if the camera commissioner found accuracy was unaffected, the tickets would be reissued.