Estonian Blockchain-Based ID Card Security Flaw Raises Issues About Identity

On August 30, 2017, an international team of security researchers notified the Estonian government of a security vulnerability affecting the digital use of Estonian ID cards issued to around half of the Estonian population. Affecting 750,000 ID cards issued to a population of 1.3 million, the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) has taken measures to restrict some of the ID card's security features until a permanent solution is found.

While there appears to be no sign of unauthorized use (the vulnerability appears to have been a "theoretical" vulnerability) the discovery of the vulnerability comes as Estonia continues to advance its national "e-Estonia" initiative to bring its citizens into a digital ecosystem of public and private services built upon the security and authentication provided by the Estonian ID card.