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Data of 15 Million Kazakhstanis Allegedly Leaked

16 0
12.08.2026

Crossroads Asia | Security | Central Asia

Data of 15 Million Kazakhstanis Allegedly Leaked

A hacker claims to have stolen the data from Kazakhstan eGov service. The authorities are investigating the claim.

Hackers have allegedly posted the personal data of 15 million Kazakhstani citizens for sale on the dark web. If confirmed, this would mark the second major breach of Kazakhstani citizen data in a little over a year.

According to RFE/RL, the Mash Telegram channel, which the outlet characterized as linked to the Russian security forces, reported that hackers had put the personal data of 15 million Kazakhstani citizens up for sale on the dark web. The seller reportedly claimed to have obtained the data after hacking Kazakhstan’s eGov service. The file is apparently valued at around $32,000 and, the seller claims, contains passport information, phone numbers, email addresses, document scans, and website passwords.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development acknowledged the reports and is reviewing them. In a statement posted to Telegram, the ministry said, “At this time, there is no confirmed evidence of a breach of e-government information systems or that the database in question was obtained directly from eGov.” The ministry cited inconsistencies between the claim and the structure of the eGov platform.

Data breaches are a fact of modern life the world over. Governments, including Kazakhstan’s, have increasingly pushed to digitalize services. On the one hand, the elimination of physical paperwork and office visits speeds service delivery, eliminating layers of bureaucracy and opportunities for petty corruption. But on the other hand, e-government introduces new risks, can obscure decisionmaking, and provides novel opportunities for corruption and crime. 

This latest report of leaked citizen data is not the first breach. In June 2025, the SecuriXy.kz Telegram channel reported that an archive containing information on 16.3 million Kazakhstani citizens had been leaked. The files reportedly contained 15.8 million IINs (individual identification numbers), 17 million phone numbers, alongside full names, dates of birth, and addresses.

At the time, SecuriXy.kz reported, “Analysis shows that most of the records are dated........

© The Diplomat