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Amazon Cloud Leak Exposes 540 Million Facebook Records

Posted: April 10, 2019 to Cybersecurity.

Tags: Data Breach, Compliance, Cloud Security

Third party Facebook app developers have caused yet another database leak.  Unprotected Amazon cloud servers put more than half a billion Facebook user information at risk. UpGuard, a cybersecurity firm, discovered that two datasets were publicly accessible—Coltura Colectiva, a Mexican media company, and “At the pool”, a Facebook-integrated ap. Researchers at the cybersecurity firm UpGuard today revealed that they discovered two datasets—one from a Mexican media company called Cultura Colectiva and another from a Facebook-integrated app called "At the pool"—both left publicly accessible on the Internet.  “At the pool” contained information about users’ friends, groups, check-in locations, names, and plain text passwords for over 22,000 people. "As Facebook faces scrutiny over its data stewardship practices, they have made efforts to reduce third-party access,” experts at UpGuard say, “But as these exposures show, the data genie cannot be put back in the bottle. Data about Facebook users have been spread far beyond the bounds of what Facebook can control today." Facebook is still trying to recover from a rash of security issues, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal that has Facebook facing a £500,000 UK fine. Both unsecured Amazon S3 buckets containing the datasets have now been secured and taken offline.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
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