The Danish Ministry of Defence is facing strong criticism for its handling of employee access to sensitive information regarding weapons, ammunition, and explosives. A recent report from the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office of Denmark reveals significant shortcomings in the ministry’s IT security protocols.

The report highlights that numerous employees have access to the ministry’s IT systems, granting them access to sensitive information. Critically, the Ministry of Defence has failed to assess whether these employees have a legitimate work-related need for this access, including details on weapon quantities and locations.

Furthermore, the ministry is not adequately monitoring who accesses this sensitive information. The Public Accounts Committee has expressed serious concern that this lack of oversight could lead to the deliberate or unintentional leakage of information about the Defence’s weapons, potentially enabling espionage, sabotage, or other criminal activities.

Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen (V) acknowledged the criticism and stated that he takes it “very seriously.” In a press release, Poulsen mentioned ongoing efforts to improve and modernize the Defence’s establishments and IT systems, with enhanced security measures as a natural component of this process.

The Public Accounts Committee has recommended that the ministry reassess the need for employees, even those with security clearance, to access information about weapons. The committee consists of six politically appointed members and collaborates with the National Audit Office of Denmark, which comprises civil servants, to oversee and control state expenditures.