Hackers obtain personal data of 8.8 million people in Denmark

Hackers breached Denmark’s National Register and gained access to personal data of millions of people, the Ministry of Digital Affairs announced on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said that the National Register Administration discovered that unauthorized individuals had illegally accessed, in particular, the names, addresses, and national identification numbers of approximately 8.8 million registered persons, including some who had died or emigrated from the country.

The statement quoted Digital Affairs Minister Christina Egelund as saying, “This is an extremely serious incident.”

She added, “We are working in cooperation with all relevant authorities to determine the full scope of the incident.”

Denmark’s population is around six million, but the National Register contains information on 11 million people, including data on deceased individuals and those who have emigrated.

The statement confirmed that an investigation into the breach has been opened, while the identity of the hackers has not yet been determined.

The government said the hackers breached the National Register by compromising a Danish company that had legal access to it, adding that this access right had not been revoked.