Liechtenstein Hit by Major Cyberattack, 31,000 Data Copies Stolen

The Principality of Liechtenstein is grappling with a major data breach after approximately 31,000 digital copies of sensitive information from companies, foundations, and fiduciary institutions were stolen. The government in Vaduz confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating that the identity and motives of the perpetrators are currently unclear.

A crisis team, co-led by Government Chief Brigitte Haas and Justice Minister Emanuel Schädler, convened on Saturday evening. Their primary objective is to thoroughly investigate the incident, inform affected parties, and implement countermeasures as swiftly as possible. The stolen data originated from the "Register of Beneficial Owners."

According to preliminary findings, an unknown party gained unauthorized digital access to the register sometime during the night of Thursday, July 30. Irregularities were noticed at the Office of Justice on Thursday, prompting the involvement of the Office of Information Technology. For security reasons, the affected system was taken offline. The government was informed on Friday, and initial investigation results were presented on Saturday.

Liechtenstein's government has stated that, based on current knowledge, there is no evidence that any data within the system was altered or deleted. Furthermore, Government Chief Haas confirmed in a broadcast that no ransom demands have been received, and the stolen data has not surfaced on the darknet. The crisis team is scheduled to provide further updates on Monday.