Uzbekistan’s Cybersecurity Strategy Until 2030: Tougher Rules for Fraudsters, Refunds for Victims
Uzbekistan has approved a national cybersecurity strategy through 2030, introducing stricter measures to combat fraud and protect consumers. Experts from профильные agencies and the Interior Ministry outlined the key changes at a conference held at the Sputnik press center. Kursiv Uzbekistan summarizes the main points.
No Messenger Bans, But Stronger Anti-Fraud Measures
The new strategy increases corporate responsibility for outdated cybersecurity systems. If a client loses money due to insufficient or unpatched protection, banks or payment systems will be required to compensate the losses. All digital transactions will now be strictly recorded.
Telecom operators will also be обязаны to more actively detect and block foreign virtual PBX systems used for массовые scam calls.
At the same time, authorities do not plan to block messaging platforms such as Telegram or WhatsApp, where scammers have increasingly shifted. Officials note that bans tend to trigger public dissatisfaction while criminals simply switch to other channels. Instead, the Central Bank and law enforcement will focus on tracking and blocking the conversion of stolen funds into cryptocurrencies.
Tighter Control Over Foreign Software
Experts estimate that a full transition to domestic IT solutions would take 20–30 years and require a market of around 250 mln people. Therefore, Uzbekistan will continue using foreign software but with stricter oversight.
International vendors will be required to open local offices, train Uzbek specialists, and provide access to source code. The country also plans to mutually recognize cybersecurity certificates with Russia and other partner states.
State-Level Bug Bounty Program
Uzbekistan is launching one of the first state-level Bug Bounty programs in the CIS. The initiative will create a legal platform for rewarding «white hat» hackers who identify vulnerabilities in government digital systems.
Authorities will also establish 24/7 cyberattack monitoring centers and digital forensics laboratories.
New Threats on the Horizon
Russian cybersecurity expert Alexey Lukatsky warns that by 2026, hackers may increasingly rely on artificial intelligence rather than manual attacks.
Autonomous AI agents are expected to gather personal data from social media, analyze behavior and demographics, and generate highly personalized phishing schemes. AI could also produce convincing deepfakes, fake voice or video messages from trusted individuals, enabling fraud to be carried out with minimal human involvement.
These developments will require significantly faster and more adaptive responses from law enforcement agencies.
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