Private Details of 93.4 Millions Mexicans is Leaked Online! Are the private details from your Aadhar Card safe with the government or are they prone to hacks?
By Rustam Singh
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In another vivid example of the old statement that accurately summarizes what happens when you put all your eggs in the same basket, a massive security breach has resulted in literally Mexico's entire registered voters list with all personal details to be leaked online for everyone to view. The massive leak exposes the need for encryption, teaching government officials how cyber security works and how seemingly harmless information can be fatally used by someone with malicious intent.
The hack's details:
- 93.4 million users have had their details leaked
- The leak includes a majority of Mexico's entire population
- The leak includes a host of personally identifiable information like addresses, dates of birth, voter registration numbers and names along with the names of family members
- No images were leaked thankfully
- No phone numbers or email addresses were leaked either
The possibilities of abuse include:
- Obvious identity theft. With such amounts of private information available public, it's easy to forge someone's identity.
- Virtual as well as physical harassment. Strangers knowing where you live and about your family isn't a pleasant thought to live with.
- Stalking made easy – now everyone knows where you live including your family's details. The possibility of stalking is real and frighteningly real.
- Create fake profiles and access previously registered accounts with ease
The database was discovered on an Amazon AWS cloud server, with no password protection. The security researcher that discovered the database stated the data wasn't even stored in Mexico. Mexico has quite strict data governance rules, whereby data must be kept within Mexico and, if it is exported for any reason, the data owner must have the authority of the data subject before the data can be exported.It is not sure whether someone went rogue while transferring the database for Mexico's political parties or whether it was an accidental mistake, uploaded and forgotten.
The act raises serious questions of the safety of data shared with the government. Do you suspect the India Aadhar Card System's database is prone to leaks or do you trust the government completely? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India
