23andMe, one of America’s top DNA testing companies, has reported that some of its user data has been exposed. If you believe your data could be at risk, you can contact them here.
While 23andMe can give anyone their genetic origin, the company has been specializing in Jewish and Asian ancestry. The recent war in Israel and anti-semitic targeting around the world heightens the risks associated with this leak. Wired says:
The recent theft of user data from genetics testing giant 23andMe may be more expansive than previously thought. On October 6, the company confirmed a trove of user data had been stolen from its website, including names, years of birth, and general descriptions of genetic data. The data related to hundreds of thousands of users of Chinese descent and primarily targeted Ashkenazi Jews. This week, a hacker claiming to have stolen the data posted millions of more records for sale on the platform BreachForums, TechCrunch reports. This time, the hacker claimed, the records pertained to people from the United Kingdom, including “the wealthiest people living in the US and Western Europe on this list.” A 23andMe spokesperson tells The Verge that the company is “currently reviewing the data to determine if it is legitimate.”
According to 23andMe, its systems were not breached. Instead, it said, the data theft was likely due to people reusing passwords on their 23andMe accounts that were exposed in past breaches and then used to access their accounts. If you need some motivation to stop recycling passwords, this is it.
If you use a password manager, either from Apple, Google, or a third-party like 1Password, the risk of credentials being compromised in this manner drops significantly. The Verge continues:
23andMe is investigating reports of a new data leak involving millions of user records. On Wednesday, TechCrunch reported that a hacker claims to have leaked 4 million genetic profiles belonging to people in Great Britain, along with “the wealthiest people living in the U.S. and Western Europe.”
The hacker, who goes by “Golem,” is the same one that stole 1 million lines of genetic data from 23andMe earlier this month, according to TechCrunch. Golem posted this latest round of data on the hacking site BreachForums.
Questions of privacy have been central to DNA testing companies. Consumers generally like to see where their ancestry originates from and where their cousins live. However, the risk of having their DNA profile shared with strangers and even hostile governments will be a major turnoff to the whole industry.
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