Hackers gained unauthorised access to personal records belonging to about 8.8 million people in Denmark, in what authorities described as a serious breach of the country’s central population register.
The breach affected names, addresses and CPR numbers, Denmark’s equivalent of national identification numbers, according to the Danish government. The records include information on people living in Denmark, those who have moved abroad and deceased individuals.
Denmark’s Central Person Register, known as CPR, contains information on about 11 million people, despite the country having a population of roughly 6 million. The database has retained records going back decades because it also includes people who have emigrated or died.
The breach occurred during September and was detected on October 2, according to Danish authorities. Investigators have not identified those responsible for the intrusion.
Authorities said the attackers obtained access by abusing the legitimate access rights of a Danish private company that was authorised to search the CPR system. The company’s access has since been stopped as officials investigate how the system was exploited.
Denmark’s Data Protection Agency said it received a report about the incident on October 4. It said a very large number of automated searches had been conducted against the CPR system to identify valid CPR numbers.
The government said people who had opted for protected names and addresses were not affected by the unauthorised access to those details. Authorities nevertheless warned citizens to remain alert to possible fraud attempts, particularly unsolicited calls or emails from people who may already know their personal information.
Christina Egelund, Denmark’s minister for research, education and digitalisation, described the incident as serious and ordered a comprehensive security review of the CPR system.
The government has also reported the breach to the Danish Data Protection Agency, while police and other authorities are investigating the incident. Officials cautioned that the investigation remains at an early stage and that further examination could change some details about the scope of the breach.
The scale of the incident makes it one of Denmark’s largest known data breaches. It also highlights the risks associated with centralised government databases containing sensitive identity information and allowing authorised third parties to access those systems.
For the millions of people affected, the exposure of permanent identification numbers could create long-term risks because CPR numbers are used in dealings with government agencies and other services.
Danish authorities said they were taking steps to prevent a similar incident and had expanded the operating hours of the country’s digital security hotline as the investigation continued.
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Emmanuel Abara Benson is a business journalist and editor covering artificial intelligence, global markets, and emerging technology.
He has previously worked with Business Insider Africa and Nairametrics, reporting on finance, startups, and innovation.
His work focuses on AI, digital economy, and global tech trends.
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