Security News > 2020 > November > Finland Fast-Tracks ID Code Law Change After Hacking Case
The government of Finland said Thursday it was preparing legislation that would allow citizens to change their personal identity codes in cases of gross data breaches that carry a high risk of identity theft.
The government's fast-tracked proposal was designed primarily to assist thousands of people whose personal information was stolen during a hacking of patient records at a private Finnish psychotherapy center.
All Finns receive a personal identity code at birth to allow them to access most public and many private services.
Under Finland's current law, the criteria for changing one's code are strict and, according to the government, cannot be applied in advance to prevent criminal or other significant harmful activity.
Finland also wants to develop a webpage that enables citizens to report a suspected theft of their personal data and to block unauthorized use of the information.