Intruders broke into Liechtenstein’s register of beneficial owners and copied records tied to roughly 31,000 companies, foundations and trusts, the principality’s government said in a statement released late Sunday.
Officials placed the intrusion overnight between July 29 and July 30. The attackers, who remain unidentified, gained unauthorised entry and duplicated data before staff noticed irregularities and pulled the affected system offline.
A preliminary review put the number of exposed legal entities at about 31,000. The register was established under a 2021 act forming part of the country’s anti-money laundering framework, and it records the individuals who ultimately stand behind locally registered structures.
Banking information appears to have escaped the breach. Simon Tribelhorn, director of the Liechtenstein Bankers Association, told Reuters that no banks or customer records were caught up in the incident. He called the episode regrettable and said it should not be brushed aside.
The government said nothing so far indicates the copied records were altered or deleted.
A crisis task force has been assembled under Prime Minister Brigitte Haas and Justice Minister Emanuel Schaedler. Authorities said they are working to contact everyone whose information was affected.
Liechtenstein, tucked between Switzerland and Austria, ranks among the world’s smallest and wealthiest states and hosts thousands of low-tax trusts, which makes its ownership records unusually sensitive.
