Cybercrimes in Uzbekistan rise 68-fold

The number of cybercrimes in Uzbekistan has increased 68 times over the past five years. In 2025 alone, more than 46,000 cybercrimes have been recorded, causing material damage exceeding 1.2 trillion soms to both individuals and legal entities. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed these issues during a presentation on proposals to protect the national genome from drug-related threats, combat cybercrime effectively, and digitize prosecutor oversight on November 3.

Currently, over 31 million people in Uzbekistan use the internet. Fraud targeting citizens’ personal information, bank cards, and digital signatures has been sharply rising. Most cybercrimes are carried out online, with bank card fraud being one of the most common methods.

There is no clear mechanism for protecting personal data, and some businesses store client information in open databases. In the public sector, cybersecurity guarantees for biometric identification and digital signatures remain insufficient.

The presentation also highlighted gaps in the banking sector, where mechanisms to prevent cyberattacks, detect suspicious transactions, and respond promptly are not fully effective.

As a result, the proposals emphasized the need for a comprehensive legal, technological, and methodological overhaul. Measures discussed included introducing mandatory cybersecurity requirements for handling personal data, encrypting stored information, maintaining a registry of data handlers, and strengthening penalties for violations.

For the banking sector, it was suggested to implement modern protection systems to limit fraud in online microloans, prevent collection of microloans taken out fraudulently in the victim’s name, and block suspicious accounts around the clock. Research into preventing new types of cybercrime—such as attacks on smart devices and illegal acquisition of crypto assets—was also recommended.

The President approved the proposals and instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to strengthen the authority of the Cybersecurity Center and improve the effectiveness of anti-cybercrime measures, including introducing seven new types of rapid-response examinations to detect cybercrimes more quickly.