India's state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has reportedly suffered a data breach that puts at risk thousands of users.

As per reports, a "threat actor" on the dark web has claimed to have "critical information" pertaining to the telecom company's fibre and landline users.

<h2>What data was leaked?</h2>

As per an ET report, the threat actor posting under the alias "Perell" has shared a "sample dataset" on the dark web, which includes sensitive details of BSNL fibre and landline users.

The hacker is said to possess sensitive information, including email addresses, billing details, contact numbers, and other sensitive data. Besides this, information like mobile outage records, network details, completed orders, and customer information etc have also been compromised, reported ET, citing a person with knowledge of the development.

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"This poses an imminent threat to the privacy and security of BSNL customers, which is considered critical infrastructure," the person told ET.&nbsp;

According to the report, the dataset shared by the hacker consists of about 32,000 lines of data. The threat actor 'Perell' however, claimed to possess approximately 2.9 million lines of data, across all databases. This, as per the report, includes information like a BSNL customer's district.

<h2>What now?</h2>

Indian cybersecurity watchdog Cert-In has reportedly been notified of the hacking attack.

While BSNL is yet to publicly acknowledge the breach, speaking to the publication, Kanishk Gaur, cybersecurity expert and founder of India Future Foundation, a think tank working on internet safety and cybersecurity, called the data breach "deeply concerning".

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"The recent data breach at BSNL is deeply concerning," he said, adding,&nbsp;"This incident has far-reaching implications for both BSNL and its users."&nbsp;

"The breach, involving sensitive information, not only compromises the privacy of the users but also places them at risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and targeted phishing attacks," he warned.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has reportedly suffered a data breach that puts at risk thousands of users. As per reports, a "threat actor" on the dark web has claimed to have "critical information" pertaining to the telecom company's fibre and landline users.

India's state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has reportedly suffered a data breach that puts at risk thousands of users. As per reports, a "threat actor" on the dark web has claimed to have "critical information" pertaining to the telecom company's fibre and landline users. What data was leaked? As per an ET report, the threat actor posting under the alias "Perell" has shared a "sample dataset" on the dark web, which includes sensitive details of BSNL fibre and landline users. The hacker is said to possess sensitive information, including email addresses, billing details, contact numbers, and other sensitive data. Besides this, information like mobile outage records, network details, completed orders, and customer information etc have also been compromised, reported ET, citing a person with knowledge of the development. Also read | India: Noida reports its first Covid case after months, health authorities advise caution "This poses an imminent threat to the privacy and security of BSNL customers, which is considered critical infrastructure," the person told ET. According to the report, the dataset shared by the hacker consists of about 32,000 lines of data. The threat actor 'Perell' however, claimed to possess approximately 2.9 million lines of data, across all databases. This, as per the report, includes information like a BSNL customer's district. What now? Indian cybersecurity watchdog Cert-In has reportedly been notified of the hacking attack. While BSNL is yet to publicly acknowledge the breach, speaking to the publication, Kanishk Gaur, cybersecurity expert and founder of India Future Foundation, a think tank working on internet safety and cybersecurity, called the data breach "deeply concerning". Also read | Walmart boosts Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart with $600 mn infusion in latest funding round "The recent data breach at BSNL is deeply concerning," he said, adding, "This incident has far-reaching implications for both BSNL and its users." "The breach, involving sensitive information, not only compromises the privacy of the users but also places them at risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and targeted phishing attacks," he warned. (With inputs from agencies)

BSNL suffers data breach, hacker posts data on dark web: Report

Ancestry website 23andMe has confirmed that a recent breach has led to the leak of data belonging to around 6.9 million users.&nbsp;

The data includes things like users' display names, their ancestry reports, profile pictures, and more.

<h2>Who was affected by the breach?</h2>

Andy Kill, 23andMe's spokesperson, in an email statement to The Verge, said that the breach affected around 5.5 million users who had DNA Relatives enabled. This feature matches users with similar genetic makeups, i.e., it matches people with other members they may share ancestry with.&nbsp;

Another 1.4 million people had data related to their family tree profiles accessed.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the ancestry website said that "threat actors" used a credential surfing attack to access "a very small percentage" of "Credential Stuffed Accounts" user accounts.&nbsp;

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This, as per the Verge, amounts to around 14,000 users. However, using the DNA Relatives feature on these 'credential stuffed accounts', the hackers&nbsp;accessed the additional information from millions of other profiles.&nbsp;

"Based on its investigation, 23andMe has determined that the threat actor was able to access a very small percentage (0.1 per cent) of user accounts in instances where usernames and passwords that were used on the 23andMe website were the same as those used on other websites that had been previously compromised or were otherwise available (the 'Credential Stuffed Accounts')."

"We still do not have any indication that there has been a data security incident within our systems," it said.

<h2>The data these 'threat actors' accessed</h2>

The first public signs of trouble for 23andMe appeared in October, when a threat actor, as per the SEC filing, posted online a claim to have 23andMe users’ profile information.

At the time, 23andMe confirmed that user information was up for sale on the dark web.&nbsp;

The Verge reports that the 5.5 million DNA Relatives profile&nbsp;leaks include users who weren't a part of the initial credential-stuffing attack.&nbsp;

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Leaked data includes information like their display names, predicted relationships with others, the amount of DNA users share with matches, ancestry reports, self-reported locations, ancestor birth locations, family names, profile pictures, etc.

For the remaining 1.4 million users, who also participated in the DNA Relatives feature, their family tree profiles were accessed. This means that information like the display names, relationship labels, birth year, and self-reported locations were accessed.&nbsp;

The company said that it was still in the process of notifying users affected by the breach. Additionally, it now requires two-step verification for new and existing users who&nbsp;have been asked to reset their passwords.

"We are in the process of notifying affected customers, as required by law," it said in a blog post.

"We have taken steps to further protect customer data, including requiring all existing customers to reset their password and requiring two-step verification for all new and existing customers. The company will continue to invest in protecting our systems and data."

(With inputs from agencies)

Ancestry website 23andMe has confirmed that a recent breach has led to the leak of data belonging to around 6.9 million users. The data includes things like users' display names, their ancestry reports, profile pictures, and more.

Ancestry website 23andMe has confirmed that a recent breach has led to the leak of data belonging to around 6.9 million users. The data includes things like users' display names, their ancestry reports, profile pictures, and more. Who was affected by the breach? Andy Kill, 23andMe's spokesperson, in an email statement to The Verge, said that the breach affected around 5.5 million users who had DNA Relatives enabled. This feature matches users with similar genetic makeups, i.e., it matches people with other members they may share ancestry with. Another 1.4 million people had data related to their family tree profiles accessed. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the ancestry website said that "threat actors" used a credential surfing attack to access "a very small percentage" of "Credential Stuffed Accounts" user accounts. Also read | El Salvador's Bitcoin investments surge: Bukele confirms profit amid cryptocurrency rally This, as per the Verge, amounts to around 14,000 users. However, using the DNA Relatives feature on these 'credential stuffed accounts', the hackers accessed the additional information from millions of other profiles. "Based on its investigation, 23andMe has determined that the threat actor was able to access a very small percentage (0.1 per cent) of user accounts in instances where usernames and passwords that were used on the 23andMe website were the same as those used on other websites that had been previously compromised or were otherwise available (the 'Credential Stuffed Accounts')." "We still do not have any indication that there has been a data security incident within our systems," it said. The data these 'threat actors' accessed The first public signs of trouble for 23andMe appeared in October, when a threat actor, as per the SEC filing, posted online a claim to have 23andMe users’ profile information. At the time, 23andMe confirmed that user information was up for sale on the dark web. The Verge reports that the 5.5 million DNA Relatives profile leaks include users who weren't a part of the initial credential-stuffing attack. Also read | Wells Fargo faces lawsuit over alleged overtime violations amid unionisation push Leaked data includes information like their display names, predicted relationships with others, the amount of DNA users share with matches, ancestry reports, self-reported locations, ancestor birth locations, family names, profile pictures, etc. For the remaining 1.4 million users, who also participated in the DNA Relatives feature, their family tree profiles were accessed. This means that information like the display names, relationship labels, birth year, and self-reported locations were accessed. The company said that it was still in the process of notifying users affected by the breach. Additionally, it now requires two-step verification for new and existing users who have been asked to reset their passwords. "We are in the process of notifying affected customers, as required by law," it said in a blog post. "We have taken steps to further protect customer data, including requiring all existing customers to reset their password and requiring two-step verification for all new and existing customers. The company will continue to invest in protecting our systems and data." (With inputs from agencies)

Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users 

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BSNL suffers data breach, hacker posts data on dark web: Report

Ancestry website 23andMe confirms recent data breach affected 6.9 million users