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A scorching potato: Again in October, genomics specialist 23andMe disclosed a safety incident through which hackers had obtained info from some consumer accounts. The admission appeared to downplay the breach, and solely now are we studying extra particulars in regards to the incident.
Late final week in a filing with the US Securities and Alternate Fee, 23andMe mentioned it decided that the menace actor within the incident was solely capable of entry a really small share (0.1 p.c) of consumer accounts in sure circumstances. As TechCrunch highlights, the corporate mentioned it had greater than 14 million clients worldwide in an earnings report from Might, which means 0.1 p.c can be round 14,000 impacted accounts.
Over the weekend, 23andMe spokesperson Katie Watson informed TechCrunch that hackers had accessed info on roughly 5.5 million folks that had opted into the corporate’s DNA Kinfolk characteristic. Compromised knowledge reportedly included names, beginning years, how a lot DNA a consumer shared with kin, ancestry reviews, and extra. The rep moreover talked about one other group of about 1.4 million customers that additionally had their household tree profile knowledge accessed.
Given the up to date figures, roughly half of 23andMe’s consumer base was seemingly touched by the intruder.
TechCrunch famous that some info of their trade with 23andMe was deemed “on background,” which has to do with how info between a reporter and a supply is shared. TC mentioned it was given no alternative to reject 23andMe’s phrases, in order that they went forward and revealed the knowledge. TC additionally questioned out loud why 23andMe did not share these numbers within the SEC submitting.
In October, 23andMe mentioned it believed hackers had been capable of entry some accounts in situations the place customers recycled login credentials from different websites that had beforehand been hacked as a part of a course of often known as credential stuffing.
The 23andMe hack is yet one more cautionary net safety story, and one that may have larger stakes given the kind of knowledge concerned. Genetic knowledge simply looks like one thing you do not wish to fall into the incorrect palms.
Picture credit score: Sangharsh Lohakare, Louis Reed
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