Ancestry website hacked, genetic data now for sale on the internet

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The ancestry website 23andMe has been hacked and now genetic data is up for sale on the internet/dark web.

23andMe Customers’ Genetic Profiles Put Up for Sale by Hacker

So far Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese genetic data has been leaked but hack may include more.

Not the first hack of genetic data. GEDmatch had one

Massive GEDmatch Security Breach Exposes 1.2 Million Users' DNA Profiles To Law Enforcement Agencies

Besides the invasion of privacy and security risks from submitting data to these companies the technology is there that a bio weapon can be made/customized to specific data.

House Rep Warns of Bioweapons Designed to Kill Specific People Based on DNA
 

Balzac said:
Like it's all the customers' fault and nothing to do with their own shiddy security.
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Well when one voluntary puts or gives a mother load of personal information to one of these companies this is what can happen. Most forget that banks use family information or things like birthdays for security questions-. This also compromises the personal information of distant relatives people know nothing about.

Decades ago one had to go to a library or use snail mail with formal request for this type of information now it's much too easy and riskier. I know people who it took years to go back 100s of years or find every relative and that's how it should be.

Should note some of these people search websites and maybe ancestry have an opt out option but one has to give their personal information so it's not sold or disclosed to others.
 
It never ends, does it? We're going to have to start considering more robust security on the net generally, I think. Storing myriad passwords across sites, with each site having its own data store, is too complex a web to weave. Often these breaches are achieved by taking advantage of bugs in the code, and are the result of a failure to do updates. Yet, we as individuals have precious little control or comeback.

That said, the larger the company the more difficult it is to manage.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Let's see, if 23AndMe sells my data-that's just good business; but if a hacker sells my data that's a bad thing?
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This what most people miss ignoring a user agreement or contract. Their information will be sold or distributed. It's not just between them and the company. This is why they might offer free dna test kits/testing. Reselling customer information out weighs the cost.
 
I took a lot of posting abuse here when I had sent my DNA (spit) vial to be processed, They couldn't get a good read so they wanted to send me a free kit to try again. By then I had second thoughts about the whole concept behind it & refused to send another. Just another way to pigeonhole me into a group that I had no desire to join. My daughter instigated the test for her reasons not mine. I'm glad it failed & decided I will never go that route again. Thanks, but no thanks, I could care less about my forefathers. Of course I'm out the $50+ for the first kit.
 
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Well, I would. I also don't give my doctor my social security number (which is asked for on their patient intake forms); they don't need to know.
 

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