Personal data of 8.8M people accessed in Denmark security incident

Unauthorized persons gained access to the names, addresses, and personal identification numbers of about 8.8 million people in Denmark through a security incident involving the country’s Central Register of Persons (CPR), Danish broadcaster DR reported.

The Ministry of Research, Education and Digitalization described the incident as “deeply serious” and said authorities were working to determine its full extent.

The unauthorized access was obtained by abusing a Danish company’s legitimate right to search the CPR system, according to the ministry.

Authorities have suspended the company’s access to the register and notified the Danish Data Protection Agency.

The ministry said the unauthorized access did not include the names and addresses of people who had registered for name and address protection.

Research, Education and Digitalization Minister Christina Egelund urged people to remain vigilant and warned them not to disclose passwords or other confidential information in response to phone calls, emails, or other inquiries, even if the person contacting them knows their name, address, or CPR number.

The CPR system contains about 11 million registered people, including deceased people and Danish citizens who have moved abroad.