In response to recent allegations of a data leak on the e-Government database, Salih Talay, the president of the Cybersecurity Department at the Digital Transformation Office, reaffirmed the security measures in place and dismissed the claims as baseless. Speaking at the Türksat Gölbaşı campus, Talay emphasized that the e-Government system does not store any user data beyond profile information and user accounts, making it technically impossible for the alleged data to be stolen from the e-Government Gateway.
Addressing the audience, Talay highlighted the advanced nature of Türkiye's digital infrastructure, stating, "All of Türkiye's digital platforms, especially the e-Government Gateway Projects, surpass the e-Government services offered by European countries such as Germany, France and the U.K. As a matter of fact, this success has been confirmed by international indices."
Talay revealed that the number of e-Government users currently stands at 63 million, rendering the claims of data theft involving 85 million people baseless. He further explained that upon investigating the websites where the alleged stolen data was being offered for sale, they found that these sites were predominantly phishing platforms. The data obtained through phishing attacks had been circulating repeatedly over different periods.
Regarding the recent incident, Talay announced that both administrative and legal actions would be initiated to address the matter thoroughly. He also urged individuals to prioritize their personal cybersecurity, suggesting the use of two-factor authentication, similar to the security measures employed in banking applications. Additionally, he advised citizens to rely only on official communications from authorized institutions and exercise caution when granting permission to process personal data.
Mehmet Ali Erkul, director of Türksat e-Government Gateway Cybersecurity Management, reiterated the commitment to safeguarding the e-Government Gateway.
He further assured the public that Türksat Bilişim, responsible for the security of the e-Government Gateway, continuously monitors the system 24/7 to combat potential threats. The company adheres to information security, business continuity and service management standards in all the services it provides.
With these robust security measures in place, the e-Government database remains secure, and both Talay and Erkul emphasized their commitment to maintaining the integrity and protection of citizens' data.
