🔐 Breach Alert! A cybersecurity researcher, Jeremiah Fowler, has stumbled upon a treasure trove of personal data – almost 200,000 records – left unguarded in a publicly exposed database. Here’s the lowdown:
🔑 What’s at stake? The database, containing 178,519 files, was left wide open without any encryption or password protection. Fowler found personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, addresses, phone numbers, tax IDs, and more.
💡 Who’s affected? Fowler suspects the data belongs to users of Invoicely, a small business billing platform. However, it’s unclear if the database is managed directly by the company or a third party.
🚨 Why should you care? With PII exposed, there’s a real risk of identity theft. Criminals could use your details to open credit cards or loans in your name. Plus, with financial info like tax documents involved, threat actors could launch fraud, phishing, or even target your business partners.
💰 Tax time trouble? Around 6,000 tax returns were filed using stolen identities in 2021, creating headaches for unsuspecting taxpayers.
🛡️ Fowler’s advice: “Limit the collection and retention of personal data when possible,” he says. “Encrypt sensitive information to add an extra layer of security.”
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