Swedish government handed over data databases to millions of citizens

The Swedish transport agency is responsible for a major data breach in which databases containing sensitive data of millions of citizens have come into the hands of third parties through it outsourcing.

The Swedish government moved driver license databases, including photos, and vehicle and infrastructure data to IBM and NCR cloud services in the Czech Republic and Serbia in 2015. Personnel who were not otherwise bound by security regulations had access to the data.

The data includes photos, names and addresses of, among others, defense pilots, registered criminals and witnesses placed in special protection programs, writes Rick Falkvinge, the founder of the first Pirate Party, based on information from Swedish newspapers. Data on military vehicles and roads and bridges have also been made public by the Swedish transport agency’s IT outsourcing.

The government tried to keep the misstep quiet, but the sudden departure of the top of the transport agency at the beginning of this year brought the matter to light. A lawsuit on July 6 revealed the reason for the departure of the top.