SAEDNEWS: Sweden’s prosecution authority has confirmed a major data breach exposing personal information of 1.5 million people following a cyberattack against IT systems provider Miljodata.
The attack took place over the weekend of August 23–24, with stolen data later surfacing online, according to official statements cited by AFP.
Prosecutor Sandra Helgadottir revealed that the breach exposed sensitive information belonging to more than 1.5 million individuals—nearly 15% of Sweden’s population of 10.6 million. She confirmed that an investigation is underway, noting that a hacker group known as Datacarry has claimed responsibility.
Helgadottir also stressed that, so far, there is no evidence pointing to foreign state involvement in the cyber incident.
Swedish media reported that the hackers had demanded 1.5 bitcoin (about $170,000) in exchange for not releasing the stolen data. Despite this, the company Miljodata confirmed over the weekend that the compromised information had already been published on the darknet.
The leaked data reportedly includes names, addresses, and contact details of the affected citizens. Following the breach, the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection received 250 reports from victims, with at least 164 municipalities and four regional authorities impacted.
Public broadcaster SVT revealed that employees—particularly in Gothenburg—were among those whose personal details were compromised.
The breach also struck several private companies, including Volvo (truck manufacturer), SAS (airline), and GKN Aerospace (aircraft engine maker). Reports confirm that both local councils and major corporations were caught in the fallout of one of Sweden’s most significant cyberattacks to date.
