Lithuanian authorities are investigating a major data breach involving more than 600,000 records from national state registers, with prosecutors saying a foreign country is suspected of involvement in the incident.
According to Lithuania’s General Prosecutor’s Office, the leaked information was primarily taken from real estate and legal entity registers managed by the state-owned Centre of Registers. Investigators said attackers gained access by using credentials belonging to institutions authorized to retrieve the data.
The breach triggered an immediate cybersecurity response from Lithuanian authorities. Prosecutors said suspicious user accounts were blocked, access restrictions were tightened, and organizations connected to the systems were ordered to update authentication credentials.
The scale of the incident led to the resignation of the Centre of Registers director, Adrijus Jusas, on Monday. Lithuanian officials confirmed that multiple illegal access attempts were identified during the investigation.
Authorities have not officially identified the country believed to be behind the operation. However, concerns quickly focused on Russia due to Lithuania’s ongoing warnings about hybrid warfare threats targeting Baltic states and European infrastructure.
Former Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas publicly suggested the breach could be linked to Russian intelligence operations, though he did not provide evidence supporting the claim. He warned that the stolen data may include addresses and sensitive details connected to intelligence officers, military personnel, diplomats, and politicians.
The Centre of Registers manages some of Lithuania’s most important digital databases, including property ownership records, company registrations, and legal entity information used across government services and financial systems.
Lithuania has significantly expanded cybersecurity protections since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with officials repeatedly warning that the Baltic region remains a major target for cyberattacks, sabotage campaigns, and influence operations.
The investigation is being conducted by Lithuanian criminal police together with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, and national intelligence agencies. Officials said forensic analysis of the compromised systems is ongoing.