A total of 9,282 cybercrimes were uncovered in Uzbekistan during the first half of 2026, according to the recent board meeting chaired by the Interior Minister.
Officials noted that 2026 has been designated the "Year of Combating Cybercrime" within the ministry, with preventive measures sharply intensified to curb cybercrime, raise public awareness of cybersecurity, and warn citizens about risks they may encounter online. Thanks to a dedicated system developed jointly with the Central Bank, authorities prevented the illegal transfer of 29 trillion soums out of the country and blocked 18,838 bank cards linked to criminal activity.
Of the cybercrimes uncovered, 4,011 were identified proactively by law enforcement, and more than 120.496 billion soums in damages inflicted on over 13,000 citizens was recovered.
Given that public awareness is one of the key pillars of cybercrime prevention, authorities carried out an extensive outreach campaign reaching roughly 23 million people across the country.
At the same time, officials acknowledged that current efforts remain insufficient. They stressed the need for a thorough, systematic review of citizen complaints in this area, along with an in-depth analysis of the root causes and enabling factors behind cybercrime.
Directives were issued calling for continuous upskilling of Interior Ministry personnel in cybersecurity, along with accelerated training in modern information technologies and updated methods for detecting and combating cybercrime.
The briefing follows earlier reports that criminal proceeds had been laundered in Uzbekistan through 90 bank cards linked to foreign nationals. It also follows reports of cyberattacks detected against the servers of state organizations in Uzbekistan, after which UZCERT, part of the national Cybersecurity Center, called on all government bodies and business entities to immediately investigate any suspicious activity detected and to strengthen monitoring of their information systems.
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