Millions of 23andMe Customers’ Ancestry Information Accessed by Hackers Utilizing Relative Matching Feature

Millions of 23andMe Customers’ Ancestry Information Accessed by Hackers Utilizing Relative Matching Feature


An​ SEC ‌filing has revealed additional information about ⁢a data breach that impacted 23andMe users, which was previously disclosed this autumn. According to TechCrunch,⁤ the company’s investigation discovered that hackers were able to gain access to the ⁤accounts⁢ of approximately 0.1 percent of its userbase, equivalent to around 14,000 out of its total 14‌ million customers.⁢ Furthermore,⁣ the attackers exploited‍ 23andMe’s opt-in DNA Relatives (DNAR) feature, which matches‍ users with their‌ genetic relatives,‌ to obtain ⁢information about millions of other users. A spokesperson from 23andMe informed Engadget that the hackers accessed the DNAR profiles of approximately​ 5.5 million customers through this method, as well as Family Tree ⁤profile information from 1.4 million DNA Relative ​participants.

DNAR Profiles contain sensitive details, including self-reported information such as display names and locations, as well as shared DNA percentages for DNA Relatives matches, ⁤family names, predicted relationships, ⁤and ancestry reports. Family ⁤Tree⁢ profiles include display names‌ and…

2023-12-02 15:57:58
Original from www.engadget.com rnrn

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