Liechtenstein is investigating a cyberattack after hackers accessed and copied data from the country’s Register of Beneficial Owners, affecting information linked to approximately 31,000 legal entities.
The government said the unauthorized access occurred during the night of July 29–30. After detecting the intrusion, authorities took the register offline, launched an investigation, and established a crisis task force led by Prime Minister Brigitte Haas and Justice Minister Emanuel Schädler.
According to the preliminary investigation, the attackers created a new user account that enabled them to access the register for several hours before the activity was detected. Fabian Schmid, head of Liechtenstein’s Office of Information Technology, said the data was copied individually and that there is currently no evidence it was altered or deleted. The identity of the attackers and their motive remain under investigation.
Government Clarifies No Financial Data Was Included
Following its initial announcement, the Liechtenstein government said the compromised register did not contain financial information.
Officials said the accessed data included the names, dates of birth, and nationalities of beneficial owners. However, the register did not contain bank account information, asset details, revenues, or dividends, meaning those data were not compromised in the attack.
The government estimates that the copied information relates to approximately 31,000 companies, foundations, and trusts recorded in the register.
No Reported Impact on Banking Systems
Authorities have emphasized that the incident was limited to the Register of Beneficial Owners.
Reuters reported that Simon Tribelhorn, director of the Liechtenstein Bankers Association, said no banks or customer banking data were affected by the cyberattack. At the time of writing, authorities have not reported any unauthorized access to banking systems or financial records in connection with the incident.
The government continues to investigate how the attackers were able to create the unauthorized account and gain access to the system. It has not announced when the Register of Beneficial Owners will return to normal operation.
A Reminder of the Importance of Cybersecurity for Regulatory Registers
The cyberattack comes as beneficial ownership registers play an increasingly important role in anti-money laundering and corporate transparency frameworks across many jurisdictions.
While the Liechtenstein government has confirmed that the compromised register did not contain financial information, the incident highlights the importance of securing government systems that store beneficial ownership data used for regulatory and compliance purposes.
