In a staggering data breach unveiled today, over 100 million Americans' private information was exposed due to a significant lapse at MC2 Data, a well-known background check company. Cybersecurity research reveals that the organization left approximately 2.2 terabytes of sensitive data, including names, emails, and even partial credit card information, unsecured on the internet without any password protection.
Among the affected were 2.3 million users who paid for background checks through various affiliated services like PeopleSearcher and ThePeopleSearchers. This incident raises serious concerns about consumer privacy and the vulnerabilities of data handling in the background check industry.
Notably, this breach is part of a worrying trend of security lapses that have plagued numerous corporations in recent months, alarming data protection advocates. Paulina Okunytė of Cybernews criticized the ongoing issues, stating that background check services have a history of poor cybersecurity, often allowing cybercriminals easy access to sensitive personal data.
Experts underscore the need for robust data protection mechanisms and regulations to safeguard individuals’ private information against potential misuse, particularly in an era where data breaches seem increasingly commonplace.