Danish Authorities Urge Stronger Personal Data Protections

Danish authorities are urging companies and public offices to boost data security. The Agency for Public Security issued the warning recently. The agency wants to prevent systematic retrieval of personal information.

The warning follows several major data breaches in Denmark. A massive leak recently exposed 8.8 million CPR numbers. CPR numbers serve as national personal identification numbers. Hackers also hit the University of Copenhagen and accessed data of 525,000 people. Telecommunications company 3 Denmark reported potential unauthorized access affecting 400,000 private customer records.

Dansk Industri represents Danish businesses. The group warned that data risks go beyond national CPR systems. Any system using CPR or customer numbers to display personal info is at risk.

Cybersecurity expert Jeppe Engell from Dansk Industri explained the threat. Attackers do not always need to break into a system. They can misuse normal access to run massive automated searches.

Dansk Industri advises companies to review all data retrieval systems. Firms should limit search numbers and remove unneeded access. They must check system logs for suspicious patterns. Firms should also assign clear staff roles to shut down unauthorized access quickly, including external vendors.