Hackers have gained unauthorised access to personal information belonging to about 8.8 million people in Denmark, the country’s Ministry of Digital Affairs has said.
The breach affected Denmark’s national population registry, known as the CPR registry, which contains sensitive personal details, including names, addresses and social security numbers.
According to the ministry, the hackers accessed the registry through a Danish company that was legally authorised to access the database. The government said the company’s access to the registry has not been revoked.
“This is an extremely serious incident,” Digital Affairs Minister Christina Egelund said, according to a ministry statement.
Authorities are investigating the breach and working to determine its full scope. The hackers responsible have not yet been identified.
Although Denmark has a population of about six million, its national registry contains information on roughly 11 million people. The database also includes records of people who have died or emigrated from the country.
The Danish government said the unauthorised access involved information on around 8.8 million registered individuals, including people whose records remain in the registry despite no longer living in Denmark.
The incident highlights the risks surrounding access to government databases containing large amounts of sensitive personal information.
