Digital and Population Data Services Agency highly recommends the use of strong electronic authentication services

The recent case with Psychotherapy Center Vastaamo has forced us to examine practices in which services are used without strong electronic authentication. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) strongly recommends that all online services should use good practices for electronic identity verification, i.e. strong authentication with either banking IDs or a mobile certificate. By doing this, the risk of successful identity theft can be reduced.

In this context, Digital and Population Data Services Agency has also examined its own activities. Until now, Digital and Population Data Services Agency has received and processed notifications received through the eroakirkosta.fi website. This service does not use strong authentication. The operating method of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency has been in accordance with the policy issued by the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

In the future, Digital and Population Data Services Agency recommends that those who resign from a religious community make these notifications directly in the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s online service using strong authentication.

Digital and Population Data Services Agency has also contacted the persons in charge of the eroakirkosta.fi website and highlighted the risks of a channel that works without strong authentication.

Media contacts:

Digital and Population Data Services Agency
Timo Salovaara, Deputy Director General, tel. +358 (0)295 535 303
firstname.lastname[at]dvv.fi

Other publications of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency related to the Psychotherapy Center Vastaamo case:

Questions and answers for victims of identity theft or data leak

Blog in Finnish: Henkilötunnusten väärinkäyttö ei lopu niitä muuttamalla

You can now block changes of address electronically as well