Kazakhstan Probes Massive Data Leak Involving 16 Million Citizens

cover Photo: Pixabay, illustrative purposes

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development has responded to reports of a major data breach involving the personal information of 16 million people, Orda.kz reports.

The ministry said it is currently reviewing the incident. The Information Security Committee, along with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, has launched an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the leak came from private, non-governmental databases.

“Preliminary analysis suggests the data may have come from private information systems. There have been no signs of hacking or data breaches involving government platforms so far. It’s too early to draw final conclusions or confirm the accuracy of the leaked information until the investigation is complete. Citizens whose personal data is found among the compromised records will be notified via their eGov account,” the Ministry said.

Officials noted that similar leaks have occurred in the past, often involving outdated information from microfinance institutions or private companies. For example, in spring 2024, Zaimer.kz reportedly "lost" data on two million users.

The most recent breach came to light after an archive containing personal data from 2022 to 2024 surfaced online. The files include phone numbers, home addresses, and other sensitive details.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny

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