Moldova's government has confirmed one of the largest data breaches in the country's history, saying hackers extracted personal information linked to around 750,000 people after querying government services in October. The Electronic Governance Agency said attackers probed about one million identification numbers between 19 and 23 October, exploiting unauthenticated services. The first extraction was stopped on 23 October, but further attempts on 25 and 27 October were blocked, officials said.

82 services taken offline

As a precaution, authorities temporarily disconnected 82 public services and more than 30 government systems. Criminal record certificates, apostilles, driving test bookings, health authorisations and business notifications were among those affected, while most services are being restored only after security checks. The data that may have been exposed is wide-ranging. According to the agency, it could include names, birth details, family information, health and benefits records, vehicle details, bank account numbers (IBANs) and payment histories. Officials stressed bank card data was not affected and no changes to state registers have been found — but warned the information could be used in scams impersonating banks or public bodies.

Agency chief steps down

The political fallout came swiftly. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan announced on 28 October that Nicoleta Colomeet, head of the Electronic Governance Agency, would step down, with Artiom Cociu serving as acting head. Tofan said the balance now needed to shift “away from promotion and towards security”. Moldova has not attributed the attack to any country or group, although Tofan said officials were investigating possible foreign involvement, warning: “Our country is the target of coordinated and large-scale cyberattacks.” For Moldovans, the immediate risk is fraud: anyone contacted by someone claiming to be a bank or state body should verify independently before sharing passwords or codes.

Sources: Moldova Live, Bytes Europe.