Belarus ranks second in the CIS for cyberattacks

Belarus ranks second in the CIS for cyberattacks. Thefts from cards and e-wallets are common. And all of this has migrated to the digital environment. Companies collect excessive data without ensuring proper encryption or employee access control. A law has been passed to protect personal data, and a national center has been established to regulate these issues, which is producing results.

We leave data everywhere. You visit a website, choose a slow cooker, for example; if you decide to buy online, you enter your card, and information about your preferences and finances is already there. And so it is with absolutely everything. Companies use this for advertising, and criminals use it to steal money, arrange loans, or blackmail. And the volume of this information is growing faster than security systems.

Over the past three years, the number of personal information leaks has decreased. Experts say this is due to at least three factors: first, the country's personal data protection law, adopted in 2021, is effectively in place; organizations and companies have begun to use security systems quite successfully; and, of course, Belarusians' legal literacy has significantly improved. Complaints to the National Center for Personal Data Protection are further evidence of this: they increased by 10.5 percent last year alone.

Vitaly Boyko, Head of the Appeals Department at the National Center for Personal Data Protection of Belarus:

"When an operator offers to participate in a loyalty program, they collect excessive information, including details about family composition, passport series and numbers, even information about pets—all of this is, of course, excessive."

And to put things in perspective: there are quite a few such complaints, most of which are in the trade and services sector—one in three. Unsolicited advertising, solicitation calls, and call recordings—all without consent.

Inna Leus, Deputy Director of the National Center for Personal Data Protection of Belarus:

"Cookies are well-known, and they're also easy to check by visiting any website of any organization. We see, for example, that cookies are collected and processed by the organization, but there's no banner stating that I can either accept or reject cookies."

Cookies are used to track your interests for advertising purposes; they can't actually steal your data, but it's still one example. The center monitors this, and if there's a violation, they'll issue a fine. Despite the fact that the number of personal data leaks has decreased over almost five years, the bill needs to be revised.

Andrei Gaev, Director of the National Center for Personal Data Protection of Belarus:

"When a person wants to get a job and is still a candidate, in order to give their resume to a potential employer, the candidate's consent is required for review. This seems excessive today."

Attention will be paid to issues of video surveillance and audio recording. The bill proposes bans on filming in private areas. It will address the risks associated with AI, including the spread of deepfakes and digital attacks on individuals. The document will be presented to the Council of Ministers in August.