Thousands of Personal Identification Numbers Made Available to the Public

NAV faces criticism for using scannable barcodes that store personal identification numbers on envelopes. The codes can be read by anyone with a smartphone.

The confidential numbers can easily be scanned by using a cell phone that can scan barcodes, and are listed just below the address of the recipient. The Data Protection Bureau criticizes NAV’s way of handling personal information.

”The Data Protection Bureau feels it’s problematic that information of this nature is made so accessible to the public,” says Ove Skåra, Director of Information.

The numbers contain information about the person’s date of birth (the first six digits), sex, and the last five digits is the person’s personal identification number. It is also illegal to publish a combination of numbers that is a way to re-write the information, e.g. put the personal identification digits first, then the date of birth, the bureau states on their website.

”This is like a very basic encryption of a pin code,” Skåra says. Due to new technology that makes it possible to download software that can easily be read the barcodes, the bureau concludes that NAV has acted irresponsibly.

NAV apologizes, and warned the Data Protection Bureau themselves when they were made aware of the glitch:”This is not good, and we will carefully go through our routines,” says Nina Aulie, Chief of Internet Security and Information and Communication Technology at NAV.

(NRK)

Julie Ryland

Wednesday, 25 May 2011 06:29