In late October, alarming reports surfaced regarding the alleged leakage of personal data belonging to citizens of Uzbekistan, including state identification numbers, residential addresses, and passport details. Several social media users claimed they were able to locate their confidential records via dedicated Telegram bots, sharing screenshots as purported evidence of the breach.

Following these troubling disclosures, the Cybersecurity Center under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service announced the launch of an official investigation. However, weeks into the inquiry, the authorities have reportedly failed to publish concrete findings or clarify the current status of the review, leaving the public with lingering questions.

Cybersecurity specialist Akmal Sodiqov noted in an interview that data leaks are not a phenomenon exclusive to Uzbekistan but represent a widespread global challenge. As government and commercial services undergo digitalization, centralized data repositories become increasingly lucrative targets for malicious actors. The expert suggested that many databases purportedly leaked from specific local apps are actually compiled collections originating from older breaches or disparate sources.

According to the specialist, the primary root causes of data exposure typically involve API authorization flaws, misconfigured cloud storage servers, insider negligence, and insecure third-party SDK integrations. To mitigate risks, users are strongly advised to enable two-factor authentication, avoid downloading unverified APK files from messaging channels, and strictly monitor app permissions.

Source: www.gazeta.uz