On the night of July 29 to 30, unknown attackers gained access to Liechtenstein's register of beneficial owners and copied data on approximately 31,000 companies, firms, and foundations. The leak exposed the names, dates of birth, nationality, and country of residence of the people who actually stand behind them. Since Saturday, the crisis team has been led by Prime Minister Brigitte Haasová together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Emanuel Schädler. At a Sunday press conference in Vaduz, they described it as one of the most serious cyber incidents in the country's history. finews ↗
Liechtenstein has only about 40,000 inhabitants, and its economy is built mainly on a financial sector founded on trust in discretion. The register of beneficial owners was only created in 2021, based on EU rules against money laundering and terrorism financing — until then, the country had spent decades building a reputation on the anonymity of the people behind shell companies and foundations. The Record ↗
According to findings so far, the attackers only copied the data; they did not alter or delete the system or the stored records. The government suspended public access to the register as a precautionary measure, and so far no ransom demand has been received. Swiss technology law attorney Martina Arioli told SRF that this is sensitive data about ownership relationships that can be misused for identity theft or phishing — and noted that Switzerland is introducing a similar register this year. SRF ↗
The Swiss daily 20 Minuten called the leak a "Super-GAU" (worst-case scenario) for the principality. It comes at a time when both the EU and the OECD are pushing for greater transparency of ownership structures precisely to make it harder to hide assets behind anonymous shell entities — exactly what has now fallen into the hackers' hands. Who is behind the attack remains unknown for now. 20 Minuten ↗
Hackers stole the beneficial owner register of 31,000 companies in Liechtenstein. The country is dealing with one of the most serious leaks in its history
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