Liechtenstein hackers spent hours in system during cyberattack

Unknown hackers spent hours within a Liechtenstein database during a recent cyberattack, stealing personal information from around 31,000 individuals. The attackers gained access by creating a user account within a registry designed to prevent money laundering and terror financing.

According to Fabian Schmid, head of the IT office, the hackers did not download the entire database at once but accessed individual data sequentially over several hours. The stolen information includes names, birth dates, countries of residence, and nationalities of those listed in the registry. This registry contains details on individuals associated with foundations, companies, and trusts, and is accessed by authorities such as the public prosecutor's office, police, financial market supervisory authority, and tax administration.

Liechtenstein's government stated that the pilfered data has not been offered for sale online, nor have there been any extortion attempts detected so far. No data within the system appears to have been altered or deleted. A crisis team led by government chief Brigitte Haas is working to identify the attackers and their motives. While Liechtenstein is a small nation, its significant financial services sector has historically been used for tax evasion, though bank secrecy in tax matters was abolished in 2017.