Data broker exposes 600,000 sensitive files including background checks

A researcher found a publicly accessible, unencrypted Amazon S3 bucket belonging to a data broker (SL Data Services / PropertyRec network) containing 713.1 GB / 644,869 PDFs of background checks, vehicle records, criminal histories and other personal data labeled by name. The exposed files (named in a First_Middle_Last_State.PDF format) made it trivial to locate individuals, creating significant privacy and social-engineering risks; the researcher’s notifications prompted removal after repeated contact, and the report recommends proactive removal of personal data from broker sites or using removal services.