Uzbek Minister Denies Claims of 15 Mln Citizens’ Data Leak
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, has rejected claims that the personal data of 15 mln citizens was leaked from government systems, calling the figure unconfirmed and exaggerated.
The allegations surfaced earlier this month after online discussions and posts on Reddit suggested that databases linked to Uzbek state institutions were circulating on darknet platforms. Some users claimed the breach involved data relating to up to 15 million people, sparking widespread concern on social media.
Speaking at a press conference on February 12 at the Ministry of Digital Technologies, Shermatov said authorized bodies had launched an immediate technical review following the reports. According to preliminary findings, cyberattacks targeted the information systems of three state agencies between January 27 and 30.
However, officials said the scale of the breach appears far smaller than initially claimed, with approximately 60,000 records potentially affected rather than millions.
Authorities stated that unauthorized access had been blocked and additional safeguards introduced. Passwords for users of the Unified Identification System, OneID, were reset, and new consent-based controls over personal data sharing were implemented.
Officials emphasised that a data leak does not necessarily mean personal accounts were hacked, noting that limited information such as names or phone numbers can sometimes be exposed without enabling direct financial fraud. They urged citizens to remain vigilant against social engineering scams and avoid sharing passwords or verification codes.
The ministry added that cybersecurity remains a state priority, reporting that more than 107 million cyber threats were neutralized in 2025 as digital monitoring capacity expanded nationwide.
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