Sweden cyberattack: Data of 1.5mn people leaked online; breach affects nearly 15% of population

Personal data of 1.5 million people in Sweden has been leaked online after a cyberattack on IT systems provider Miljodata , the country’s prosecution authority confirmed on Tuesday. The figure represents nearly 15 percent of Sweden’s population of 10.6 million.

The breach occurred during the weekend of August 23–24. Prosecutor Sandra Helgadottir said, “The data stolen in connection with the attack on the system supplier has now been leaked. This concerns data belonging to more than 1.5 million private individuals.”

Group claims responsibility

Helgadottir said a group calling itself Datacarry had claimed responsibility, and investigators are working to track those behind the attack. “There is currently no evidence to suggest the involvement of a foreign power,” she added.

According to Swedish media, the hackers initially demanded 1.5 bitcoin (around $170,000) to prevent the release of the data. Miljodata later confirmed that the stolen information — including names, addresses, and contact details — had been published on the darknet.

The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection said it had received 250 reports from affected parties by late August. At least 164 municipalities and four regional authorities were impacted, along with several private firms.

Public broadcaster SVT reported that employees in Gothenburg were among those affected. High-profile companies, including Volvo, airline SAS, and plane engine maker GKN Aerospace, also had data compromised.