Kazakh Government Systems Breached by Hackers for Six Months

Hackers maintained unauthorized access to the digital systems of several Kazakh state bodies for approximately six months, according to reports that surfaced late last year. The breach reportedly targeted critical infrastructure, including email servers, domain controllers, and high-privilege workstations.

The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has now commented on the incident. In an official statement, the ministry confirmed it was aware of the cyber incidents referenced in public reports from the Center for Analysis and Investigation of Cyberattacks (CAICA).

The ministry stated that the public disclosure of such reports is intended to raise awareness about modern cyber threats and strengthen information security measures. It added that signals from these attacks were duly noted and analyzed according to established procedures.

However, officials declined to specify which government agencies or specific servers were targeted, citing information with limited distribution. "Their public disclosure could create additional risks for information security," the ministry's statement read.

Following an analysis of the incidents, the ministry asserted that facts confirming a large-scale leak of citizens' personal data have not been established. While individual incidents related to potential compromise of official information were reviewed and underwent additional technical and forensic verification, no confirmed data indicates a systemic leak of official correspondence, internal documents, or account data in volumes threatening national or public security.

"At present, confirmed data about a systemic leak of official correspondence, internal documents, or account data in volumes representing a threat to national or public security has not been established," the ministry emphasized.

In response to the malicious activity—which involved various software utilities, including malware—the ministry stated that additional response measures were implemented and recommendations for strengthening protection were issued.

The revelation follows recent warnings from a member of parliament about cyberattack risks targeting Kazakhstan's fuel and energy complex and industrial facilities. The MP highlighted concerns over outdated equipment and often formalistic protective measures at many critical sites.