Kazakh president orders strengthened cybersecurity, switch to domestic messaging appKazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday called for urgent reforms to the country’s cybersecurity system, citing a lack of centralized oversight and overlapping responsibilities that hinder rapid responses to digital threats.“Since the beginning of this year alone, there have been more than 40 major data breaches, with the largest incident occurring in June. While many of these incidents formally occur in the private sector, the state bears full responsibility for the overall level of digital security in the country,” Tokayev said during a meeting on artificial intelligence (AI) development.He criticized the current cybersecurity framework as inefficient due to fragmented authority and redundant functions.“On one hand, information security monitoring is handled by the Information Security Committee under the Ministry of Digital Development. On the other, technical testing and safety certifications fall under the State Technical Service, which reports to the National Security Committee. The absence of a unified command structure and duplicated functions lead to slow government responses to cyber threats. This situation must be corrected immediately,” the president said.Tokayev also instructed the government to transition all official communications involving personal data to a secure domestic messaging platform, citing cybersecurity risks.“Currently, much of official and business communication, including the transfer of citizens’ personal data, takes place through international messaging apps. These platforms are often used to request individual identification numbers, health records, and other sensitive information. This practice violates personal data protection laws and risks leaking information outside national jurisdiction,” Tokayev said.He added that Kazakhstan has developed its own messaging app, Aitu, which can provide the necessary level of security. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX