Moldova probes foreign involvement after cyberattack exposes 750,000 people's data

Moldova is investigating whether foreign state actors were behind a major cyberattack on government systems that exposed sensitive personal data and disrupted dozens of public services, The Record reports. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan announced the investigation on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, saying the country is the target of coordinated, large-scale attacks; authorities have not publicly attributed the incident to any country or group.

What happened

According to The Record, which cites the Electronic Governance Agency (AGE), attackers exploited vulnerabilities in government services between October 19 and 23 to extract large volumes of personal data before authorities blocked the unauthorized access on October 23. Attackers reportedly made about 11 million requests to access data, exploiting services that did not require authentication and then using that data to pull more information from interconnected government systems. Two further breach attempts detected afterward were unsuccessful. AGE publicly disclosed the incident the day before Tofan's statement.

Who is affected

Preliminary findings indicate that information linked to about 750,000 identification numbers was extracted, though not every individual had all data categories exposed, The Record reports. Possibly exposed data includes names, birth dates and places, family relationships, health insurance status, social benefits, pensions, disability records, driver's licenses, photographs, and vehicle ownership, and in some cases financial data such as bank account numbers, tax debts, and government payment histories. Authorities said bank card information was not compromised and found no evidence that official government records were altered. To contain the incident, authorities inspected 82 digital public services and temporarily disconnected those deemed vulnerable, along with more than 30 government information systems and administrative panels. Disrupted services included online applications for construction permits, veterinary transport authorizations, medicine imports, and food safety registrations.

The foreign-involvement question

Tofan said authorities are examining the possible involvement of foreign state actors, stating that the country faces coordinated and large-scale cyberattacks and that this is not an isolated incident, per The Record. Government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici said the incident could be part of a broader campaign of hybrid attacks against Moldova. The Record notes that Moldova, bordering Ukraine and Romania, has faced repeated cyberattacks and influence operations since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that authorities have previously accused Russia of destabilization campaigns against the pro-European government of President Maia Sandu.

What to do

The government warned that stolen data could fuel fraud, including impersonation of banks or public institutions to obtain passwords, authentication codes, or money, The Record reports. Residents should be wary of unsolicited contact claiming to come from banks or state agencies, avoid sharing one-time codes or credentials, and verify requests through official channels. Most services have since been secured and access is being gradually restored after additional security checks.