Estonia cancels security certificates of 12,500 electronic ID-cards

TALLINN - The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board on Friday canceled the security certificates of roughly 12,500 electronic ID-cards with a security flaw, which will be replaced to their owners under warranty if more than three months is left until the card's expiration date.

In total 3,300 replacement ID-cards had been manufactured under warranty and dispatched to offices of the Police and Border Guard Board by Friday. Holders of the affected cards who have not yet received a new card can use Mobile ID or Digital ID for electronic authentication, spokespeople for the Police and Border Guard Board said.

Cardholders who do not use their ID-card for electronic authentication need not worry, as the cards with the security flaw can be used as travel documents, loyal customer cards and for buying medicines with an e-prescription until their expiration date.

To obtain a new ID-card under warranty, a cardholder must reply to the e-mail received to their personal address at the eesti.ee domain and inform at which office of the Police and Border Guard Board they wish to obtain the new card. A new card under warranty can also be sought by making a phone call to the Police and Border Guard Board's phone number 612 3000.

A new ID-card is issued under warranty if the affected card's expiration date is not closer than three months from the moment the cardholder turns to the Police and Border Guard Board.

The cards with the security flaw are electronic ID-cards issued between 2011 and Oct. 16, 2014, and residence permit cards issued between 2011 and Dec. 17, 2014, which were updated between July 2012 and July 2017.

The Police and Border Guard Board has filed a claim against the manufacturer of the ID-card for violation of security requirements. The manufacturer has denied any breach.