Hackers steal records of 8 million people from Danish government database

Hackers breached Denmark’s Central Person Register (CPR), stealing personal data linked to about 8 million citizens and residents, the Danish government said. The affected group includes people living abroad and deceased people.

The stolen information includes names, addresses, Danish social security numbers and other data, according to a statement from Danish minister Christina Egelund, who called the breach a “serious incident.” The CPR is a government database used to record identity information, including numbers used for tax and access to public services.

Although Denmark has about 6 million residents, the database contains records on around 11 million people, with some information dating back decades. The government has not identified who was behind the breach. It said the attackers gained unauthorized access by abusing a Danish company’s lawful access to search the CPR.

The breach happened in September and was discovered on October 2. The government believes it may be the biggest data breach in Denmark’s history. The incident follows previous attacks and exposures involving national identity databases in other countries, including a 2016 breach affecting millions of people in Turkey and data exposures involving India’s Aadhaar database.