Securitization of digital infrastructure is not new, nor is the involvement of national security agencies therein. These phenomena have become quite common and don’t surprise anyone, especially as cybersecurity threats become more dangerous and sophisticated following the adoption of AI for hostile purposes.
In May 2026, Presidential Decree No. 1258 vested the National Security Committee (KNB) of the Republic of Kazakhstan with additional responsibilities, including in the digital domain. Largely construed as routine modernization efforts, the KNB’s new responsibilities may not have attracted much scrutiny and may have therefore flown under public’s radar, as security agencies worldwide play an increasingly bigger role in cybersecurity.
Buried in the bureaucratic language of Decree No. 1258 are three clauses that go well beyond routine oversight. Together, they don’t just make the KNB a “watchdog” over digitalization, but also give it the legal standing to become a direct participant in Kazakhstan’s AI buildout, with the authority to draw private industry into its orbit.
Section 14 now enables the KNB to develop, purchase, and operate, among others, digital systems, armament, and equipment and – for these purposes – to sign contracts with state bodies and organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan regardless of ownership form, with special services, and with organizations of foreign states. In Section 15, Clauses 224-2 and 224-3 vest the KNB with the responsibility to execute the state’s AI policy and the authority to develop and deploy artificial intelligence models and software products.
