
A successful data breach is like hitting the jackpot for cybercriminals. These breaches typically allow shady outfits to acquire the personal and sensitive information of millions and sell them online for a quick profit.
This is why it’s important to be aware of the latest known breaches that are occurring around you.
Most known data breaches happen when a hacker manages to infiltrate an online database or a website with user records. But what if legitimately acquired information is being peddled and shopped around illegally online?
This is exactly what’s happening to millions of voter registration records across multiple states. Read on and see why this new cybercriminal scheme can be a threat, not just to you, but to the whole country, as well.
Voter data now available on the Dark Web
Now, this is quite troubling. The personal information and voting history of over 35 million U.S. voters were spotted to be on sale on a popular Dark Web hacking forum.
Cybersecurity researchers from Anomali Labs and Intel471 discovered the advertisements and they noted that this is the first of its kind.
“To our knowledge this represents the first reference on the criminal underground of actors selling or distributing lists of 2018 voter registration data,” said Hugh Njemanze, Anomali Labs’ CEO.
Data advertised in the cache reportedly includes the following:
- Full name
- Phone numbers
- Physical addresses
- Voting history (Note: This pertains to whether you voted on a certain election. This doesn’t indicate who you voted for.)
- Other unspecified voting data
Researchers from both Anomali Labs and Intel761 said that they have reviewed a portion of the database and they have “determined the data to be valid with a high degree of confidence.”