Estonia Deploys QR-Based Login System to Combat ID Fraud
Estonia's State Information System Authority will launch its Smart-ID+ authentication service by the end of February, aiming to thwart sophisticated scams by replacing the manual entry of personal identification codes with secure QR code scanning or direct app-to-app connections.
- —Estonia's State Information System Authority (RIA) is set to launch the new Smart-ID+ authentication service by the end of February, enhancing security and fraud prevention.
- —Smart-ID+ will eliminate the need to enter personal identification codes on websites, linking login sessions directly to the user's Smart-ID app via QR code scanning or app-to-app connections.
- —The updated service aims to prevent sophisticated scam schemes, social engineering, and phishing by adding an extra layer of protection to the authentication process.
- —Users will need to update their Smart-ID app to utilize Smart-ID+, with the functionality available in e-services that have specifically enabled it.
- —The new system uses constantly changing QR codes and direct app connections to make it harder for fraudsters to trick users into confirming unauthorized actions.
Recap
The launch of Smart-ID+ is a direct response to the weaponization of publicly available personal data by fraudsters. By moving authentication away from static ID codes to dynamic, device-specific QR codes, Estonian authorities are engineering a solution more resilient to social engineering. This represents a tactical shift in national cybersecurity, acknowledging that user education alone is insufficient to counter increasingly sophisticated digital scams. The system's effectiveness, however, will depend on the speed of adoption by both users and service providers.