The mystery of an alleged data broker’s data breach

An alleged breach of a U.S. data broker, reportedly impacting around 300 million people, was advertised on a cybercrime forum and includes sensitive personal data (full names, address histories, Social Security numbers). TechCrunch and malware-research group vx-underground reviewed samples and found some records that appear genuine while other records were inconsistent; verification efforts were inconclusive and the broker named by the seller did not respond to inquiries. The report highlights the privacy risks posed by the data broker industry even when specific breaches cannot be fully confirmed.