Kazakhstan: Personal Data Leak of Millions, Including Officials, Discovered
Photo: Elements.envato.com, ill. purposes
A Telegram bot has surfaced that gives anyone free access to the personal data of Kazakhstani citizens, including government officials. Among those whose information has leaked online are Minister of Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and Kazakhtelecom head Bagdat Musin, Orda.kz reports.
The leak was revealed by Majilis Deputy Murat Abenov, who raised the alarm on Facebook. Abenov warned that “uncontrolled digitalization is more a threat than a blessing,” noting that Madiyev has been a vocal supporter of Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
The bot gives out the personal details of every Kazakhstani citizen, free of charge, to anyone. The project is most likely operated from Russia, since it is more about Russian citizens. All data from state information systems is publicly available, most likely a downloaded eGov database,Abenov wrote.
According to Abenov, the bot updates its data in real time, offering access to birth dates, national ID numbers (IIN), addresses, phone numbers, household members, real estate purchases, and vehicle ownership.
To test it, we entered the names of the current Minister, Zhaslan Madiyev, and former Minister of digitalization, Bagdat Musin. The bot returned full details, including mobile numbers registered in eGov and information about their family members,Abenov reported.
The deputy said the leaked data appears authentic, complete with current phone numbers, home addresses, and even children’s contacts. The most recent data update was in December 2024. As for how the breach happened, Abenov suspects the involvement of corrupt insiders at the Ministry of Digital Development, potentially selling data for profit.
Abenov has formally appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office, urging swift action and a full investigation.
Orda.kz has also submitted a request for comment to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry.
This is not Kazakhstan’s first data breach scandal. Just last month, news broke that a list of Almaty residents living with HIV had been leaked online.
Original Author: Nikita Drobny
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