Data breach exposes 8.8 million personal records in Denmark

Denmark’s Ministry of Higher Education and Science has announced that personal data for around 8.8 million people was leaked from the Central Civil Registration System, following the misuse of access privileges granted to a Danish company.

In a press statement cited by Danish media, the ministry confirmed that the breach included names, addresses, and personal identification numbers, noting that unauthorized parties were able to access this sensitive information.

The ministry explained that the incident occurred when one or more individuals exploited legal access rights given to the company to conduct searches in the CPR, Denmark’s central civil registry.

The number of affected individuals exceeds Denmark’s population of about 6 million, as the breach also included data of deceased persons or those who have emigrated. Cases involving secret identities or protected addresses were not affected.

Danish police have launched an investigation into the incident, and the Danish Data Protection Agency has been formally notified. Minister Christina Egelund has urged citizens to be cautious when responding to any suspicious communications.