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LEARN MOREData Firm Leaks Details On Almost Every Voter In The US
Sensitive data on 198 million registered voters was stored on an unsecured server until a security researcher happened upon it.
Data Firm Leaks Details On Almost Every Voter In The US
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June 19, 2017
If you're registered to vote in the U.S., there's a good chance your personal info was just left unguarded on the internet for days.
A researcher for security company UpGuard stumbled upon an unsecured server with a massive cache of data. It contained data about 198 million of the country's approximately 200 million registered voters.
The server belonged to Deep Root Analytics, a consulting firm working with the Republican National Committee. At least two other firms also contributed to the data cache.
In addition to personal info — names, addresses, phone numbers and more — the database also scored people on their political beliefs and voting habits. This allowed political campaigns to more effectively tailor their ads to specific voting populations.
Deep Root secured the server shortly after they were alerted of the problem. But the database was reportedly exposed for at least 12 days, and it's not clear if anyone else got their hands on that data.
Political data has been a prized target this election cycle. Voting systems in 39 states came under attack last year by hackers linked to the Russian government.
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