Subj : Hackers steal massive screening database and threaten to leak all
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Apr 19 2024 11:45:04

Hackers steal massive screening database and threaten to leak all the details 
online

Date:
Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:33:08 +0000

Description:
World-Check database, holding Social Security numbers and passport 
information, was stolen from a third party.

FULL STORY
======================================================================

Another day, another supply chain attack with potentially devastating 
consequences - this time around, sensitive data from World-Check was stolen 
by a relatively unknown threat actor, which now threatens to release the 
database online. 

World-Check is a global database containing information on potentially 
high-risk people and entities. It is mostly used by financial institutions, 
governments, and other organizations, to run due diligence and comply with 
anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and sanctions screening 
laws. The company pulls data from various sources and creates profiles on 
people and organizations that could be associated with financial crime, 
terrorism, corruption, and similar. Other firms can then use this data to 
assess risks associated with their clients, business partners, and more. 

It was acquired by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) which, in 2021, 
purchased Refinitiv (World-Check parent company) from Thomson Reuters - but 
it wasnt World-Check, or LSEG, that were breached. It was an unnamed third 
party, allegedly based in Singapore, which had access to the World-Check 
database. Government officials and diplomats 

 TechCrunch spoke with the perpetrators, called GhostR, which said it stole 
5.3 million records on thousands of people. 

Some of these people are government officials and diplomats, but there are 
also records on companies whose leaders are considered politically exposed 
people, or who are deemed susceptible to corruption or bribery. On the list 
are also persons accused of organized crime, terrorism, and more. 

While the data varies, it mostly contains peoples names, passport numbers, 
Social Security numbers, only crypto account identifiers, bank account 
numbers, and more. 

The publication also reminds that World-Check is a privately run database 
and, as such, isnt immune to errors that can label innocent people as 
terrorists or criminals. 

Almost a decade ago, an older copy of the World-Check database leaked. 
Subsequent analysis discovered a former advisor to the U.K. government with 
the terrorism label. More from TechRadar Pro One of the biggest data leaks 
ever has just been revealed - here's what to do if you've been hit Here's a 
list of the best firewalls around today These are the best endpoint security 
tools right now



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hackers-steal-massive-screening-databas
e-and-threaten-to-leak-all-the-details-online


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