Massive Data Breach in Denmark Exposes Personal Info of 8.8 Million, Exceeding Total Population

A massive data breach has occurred in Denmark, compromising the personal information, including resident registration numbers, names, and addresses, of 8.8 million people—exceeding the country's total population.

According to The Copenhagen Post, an unidentified intruder accessed Denmark's national Civil Registration System (CPR) over a period of about ten days last month, stealing the personal data of 8.8 million individuals.

The leaked information includes names, addresses, and CPR numbers, which correspond to resident registration numbers.

Because the system comprehensively stores data on deceased individuals and immigrants, the total number of leaked records surpassed the current total population of approximately 6 million.

According to Danish authorities, the CPR contains data on about 11 million people.

Danish Minister for Digitization Christina Egelund described the incident as "very serious" on the 5th, stating, "We are working with relevant authorities to determine the exact scale and circumstances of the incident."

Initial investigation results show that the perpetrators accessed the CPR by exploiting legitimate access rights held by a small private company. An employee of the CPR management department detected abnormal activity on the 2nd and reported it to the authorities.

Access rights for the company in question have currently been blocked.

Acknowledging that security measures regarding the company's access rights were inadequate, Egelund pointed out that since the abnormal activity continued for several days, such behavior should have been detected earlier.

However, she declined to disclose the name of the company, citing the ongoing investigation.

She also declined to answer whether authorities believe the perpetrators had criminal intent.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.