The Tax Administration has announced a data breach in the software used by creditors, which led to unauthorized requests for credit information from the positive credit information register. According to the release, the software used by lenders was hacked, causing the breach in the credit information register. As a precaution, the software interface for lenders has been temporarily closed while investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the breach.
Individuals with personal IDs obtained from previous data breaches in other organizations may have been used in the unauthorized access to credit information. The income register unit of the Tax Administration is currently investigating the situation and working to identify the number of customers affected by the breach. Cooperation with other authorities such as the data protection commissioner and police may be necessary in addressing this issue.
The positive credit information register was established in April with a goal of collecting data on citizens’ credit and income to provide lenders with accurate information when assessing loan applications. Individuals can also use this register to manage their finances by setting a voluntary credit ban if they choose to do so. Bank lenders have access to request credit information when processing loan applications, while landlords are not permitted to access such information for lease agreements.
The Tax Administration closely monitors and controls the use of this registry. The income register unit has authority to restrict access to its data for certain operators if deemed necessary. Measures are being taken to address this incident and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.