A cyberattack on Moldova’s government digital services exposed personal data associated with approximately 750,000 personal identification numbers, affecting about a quarter of the country’s population, the Agency for Electronic Governance said on October 27, citing preliminary investigation findings.
The attack took place between October 19 and 23. Attackers attempted to obtain information linked to around one million identification numbers.
The agency said bank card details and other critical financial data were not compromised.
The information potentially accessed without authorisation included names, dates and places of birth, details of relatives, health insurance and family doctor information, social benefits, pensions, disability records, driving licences, vehicle ownership and photographs. Other potentially exposed data included international bank account numbers (IBANs), tax debts and payment histories through the government’s MPay platform.
The agency cautioned that the categories of information potentially compromised varied between individuals. The full set of listed data was not necessarily accessible for every identification number affected.
Following detection of the attack, authorities examined 82 digital services and temporarily shut down services and information systems considered at risk. The agency said the measures isolated the incident and prevented further breaches.
Unauthorised data extraction was stopped at 11:30 AM on October 23. Authorities subsequently shut down 82 government services, more than 30 information systems and administrative panels as a precaution.
On October 25, specialists identified and blocked another attempt to gain unauthorised access to several government services. A further attempt to extract data was detected on the morning of October 27 but was unsuccessful, according to the agency.
Most affected services have since been restored. The remaining services will resume once authorities have reconfirmed the effectiveness of the security measures in place.
The scope of the incident is still being established through audits and investigations involving the Cybersecurity Agency, the Information Technology and Cybersecurity Service, the Information and Security Service and the Agency for Electronic Governance.
The agency said bank card information had not been compromised because payments through MPay and EVO are processed by secure banking systems, while government platforms do not store card details. It added that possession of an IBAN alone was insufficient to access a bank account or make an unauthorised transfer.
Investigators have also found no evidence so far of unauthorised changes to state registry records. Access to information about real estate or a company does not, by itself, enable ownership rights to be transferred.
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