At an emergency press conference in Vaduz on Sunday, Prime Minister Brigitte Haas, Deputy Prime Minister Emanuel Schädler and Martin Alge, Head of the Office of Justice, confirmed that an unknown group had copied data from the Register of Beneficial Owners (Verzeichnis wirtschaftlich berechtigter Personen, VwbP).

The database contains confidential information on the ultimate beneficial owners of companies, foundations and trusts registered in the principality. According to the authorities, the stolen data includes names, dates of birth, nationality and country of residence of individuals behind these structures.

No Ransom Demand

The government said there is currently no indication who is behind the attack. "So far there have been neither ransom demands nor any indication that the database has appeared for sale on the dark web," Prime Minister Haas said.

As a precaution, online access to the register has been suspended. Authorities stressed that there is currently no evidence that any data has been altered or deleted.

Crisis Team Activated

The cyberattack took place during the night of 30 July. Irregularities were detected later that day by the Office of Justice. Following an analysis by the Office of Information Technology, the affected system was immediately taken offline and additional security measures were implemented.

A government crisis task force has since been established to manage the incident. Authorities are now working to notify affected individuals as quickly as possible and have set up a dedicated information centre. Further updates are expected on Monday.

Key Anti-Money Laundering Database

The Register of Beneficial Owners forms a central pillar of Liechtenstein's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework. It was established to implement European Union anti-money laundering directives and requires companies, foundations and trustees to disclose their ultimate beneficial owners through an online portal.

Potential Reputational Impact

The breach comes at a sensitive time for Liechtenstein's internationally oriented financial centre, where foundations, trusts and wealth structures play a key role. While the full consequences remain unclear, the incident raises concerns about the security of one of the country's most sensitive government databases.

It could also pose a reputational challenge for Liechtenstein, which has positioned itself in recent years as a pioneer in digital finance and blockchain regulation.