Uzbekistan uncovered 9,282 cybercrimes in the first half of 2026, preventing UZS 29 trillion ($2.43bn) from illegally leaving the country and blocking 18,838 bank cards linked to criminal activity, according to the Interior Ministry.
The figures were announced at a regular Interior Ministry board meeting chaired by Interior Minister Pulat Bobojonov. The ministry declared 2026 the “Year of Combating Cybercrime” and significantly expanded preventive measures aimed at stopping cybercrime, improving public awareness of cybersecurity and warning citizens about online threats.
As part of these efforts, a special system developed jointly with the Central Bank was launched. According to the Interior Ministry, the system helped prevent UZS 29 trillion ($2.43bn) from being illegally transferred abroad and led to the blocking of 18,838 bank cards associated with criminal activity.
A total of 4,011 cybercrime cases were identified proactively by law enforcement agencies. More than 13,000 citizens received compensation for financial losses exceeding UZS 120.496bn ($10.1mn). The ministry also placed a strong emphasis on public awareness as a key tool in preventing cybercrime. Awareness and outreach campaigns covered more than 23mn people across Uzbekistan.
At the same time, officials criticized the measures taken so far as insufficient. Authorities stressed the need to thoroughly examine complaints received from citizens and conduct deeper analysis of the causes of cybercrime and the factors that enable such offenses.
The ministry also instructed law enforcement agencies to accelerate the training of personnel in cybersecurity, modern information technologies and new methods for detecting and combating cybercrime. The crackdown comes amid a series of recent cybercrime-related cases in Uzbekistan.
Earlier, authorities also reported cyberattacks targeting servers of state organizations in Uzbekistan. The UZCERT service of the Cybersecurity Center urged state organizations and businesses to immediately conduct internal checks following any suspicious activity and strengthen monitoring of their information systems.
