The Uzbek government is implementing key measures to combat cybercrime and bolster data security, as outlined in a presidential decree signed on March 10. The decree approves a national cybersecurity strategy for 2026–2030, setting a comprehensive plan to protect the country's digital infrastructure and prevent cyberattacks. This move comes in response to growing vulnerabilities highlighted by recent incidents, including cyberattacks on state institutions in January, which have raised concerns about data protection in an increasingly digitized society.
According to the decree, starting April 1, 2026, cybersecurity departments will be established within the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Energy, and the Tax Committee. Additionally, state bodies and organizations are required to allocate funds from budgetary and extra-budgetary sources toward cybersecurity initiatives within defined parameters. These steps aim to address the lag in security systems compared to the rapid development of digital public services, a point emphasized by the Minister of Digital Technologies, who noted that efforts to make services more user-friendly have inadvertently increased risks.
The State Security Service will conduct regular competitions involving independent experts to identify weaknesses in national information systems and enhance their resilience to modern cyber threats. These competitions will be held on a special electronic platform designated by the service. In January, three government agencies reportedly suffered cyberattacks, with the Ministry of Digital Technologies clarifying that around 60,000 unique records were disseminated, not the data of 15 million citizens as previously misreported on social media.
The ministry further explained that the term "personal data leakage" refers not to hacking citizens' personal accounts but to accessing isolated information such as names, birthdates, addresses, and phone numbers. Analysis by experts from C7 Cybersecurity indicated that claims of 15 million records being obtained remain unverified, as only a sample of 5,522 records was presented; however, indexed data included 24 photos of Interior Ministry employees and other sensitive records. The Minister of Digital Technologies acknowledged that the push for convenience has heightened threats, prompting a review of data protection approaches to better safeguard against future breaches.
Source: www.gazeta.uz