Estonian ID-card crisis resolved: authorities

TALLINN, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Estonian ID-card crisis has been resolved through software update to bypass the security risk, Estonian authorities said on Friday.

Around 330,000 security-risk affected Estonian ID-cards have been updated since the suspension of the 760,000 ID-card certificates a month ago, said the joint press release from Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) and Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB).

"With the renewal software the card holders are able to renew their ID-cards either remotely from their own personal computer or at one of the police service points," said Margus Arm, head of the eID field at RIA.

The software update was released on Oct. 25 and active updating process started on Oct. 31, 2017.

The security risk was discovered by an international team of researchers who informed the RIA on Aug. 30. The risk affected the chips used in ID-cards, residence permits, and digital IDs issued in Estonia as of October 2014. RIA notified the PBGB which is the authority responsible for issuing identity documents.

The PBGB decided to suspend the certificates of the affected ID-cards from Nov. 3. Owners of the security risk-affected ID-cards needed to update their certificates to continue using e-services.

The certificates of the affected ID-cards that have not been updated will be permanently revoked on April 1, 2018. Updating process will continue until March 31, 2018, said the press release.

In addition to ID-card, people can use mobile-ID to use Estonian digital services. The number of mobile-ID users has increased by 26,000, reaching 160,000, it added.

Estonian authorities offer around 1,500 state services online, only marriages, divorces and real-estate transactions are not available online. Private sector offers around 5,000 digital services from online banking to telecom services, said the press release. Enditm