Estonia has suspended its digital ID cards for residents and overseas “e-residents” after discovering a security flaw that could lead to identity theft. It is estimated that about 760,000 people in Estonia were affected, or about half of the nation’s population. According to Reuters, the eID chip was manufactured by German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies. For security reasons, Estonian authorities immediately blocked access to the digital services of the eID card until owners can update to a new security certificate, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported. They have until March 2018 to do so.
Estonia’s police and border guard service offices have reportedly been swamped with people seeking to obtain new eID cards.
About 12 years ago, Estonia, a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, launched its eID programme which can serve as an ID card to travel within the European Union and can be used for filing tax claims, online voting, electronic prescriptions and logging into bank accounts.
Full Article: Estonia blocks eID card services after security flaw found.