Denmark’s government says hackers gained unauthorised access to names, addresses and social security numbers of about 8.8 million people through the country’s national population registry, the country’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said Monday.
The compromised information includes names, addresses and CPR numbers, Denmark’s equivalent of social security numbers, according to the ministry.
Digital Affairs Minister Christina Egelund described the incident as “extremely serious” as authorities work to determine the full scope of the breach.
“Together with all the relevant authorities, we are in the process of mapping out the full extent of the incident,” Egelund said.
Although Denmark has a population of about six million, its Central Person Register, known as CPR, contains information on roughly 11 million people. The database also includes records belonging to people who have died or emigrated from the country.
Authorities said the hackers have not yet been identified and that an investigation into the breach is underway.
The attackers reportedly gained access to the registry by first compromising 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 The government said the company’s access to the registry has not been revoked.
The breach has raised concerns over the security of sensitive personal information held by Denmark’s authorities, as officials continue to investigate how the attackers exploited the company’s legitimate access and whether additional data was compromised.
