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809 Million Records Leaked in Verifications.io Breach

Posted: March 13, 2019 to News.

Tags: Data Breach, Malware, Compliance

Charlie Osborne at ZDNet has revealed a data breach of epic proportions. Bob Diachenko and Vinny Troia discovered over 809 million records in MongoDB. The information offered included varying degrees of private information including email addresses, zip codes, phone numbers, physical addresses and dates of birth. "Although not all records contained the detailed profile information about the email owner,” says Diachenko, “a large number of records were very detailed.” And anyone with an internet connection could access the data and compile some very effective spear phishing attacks. Researchers cross-referenced the database with Troy Hunt’s HaveIBeenPwned data and confirmed that the MongoDB incident was not just a bulk data dump of stolen information. The breach apparently comes from a company called Verifications.io - an email marketing firm that specializes in circumventing spam traps and hard bounces. Their service allows customers to upload email lists for marketing and verification purposes. Unfortunately, the lists upload in plaintext without any form of encryption, which makes this data a veritable gold mine for anyone looking to compromise large scale companies in a short amount of time. The company immediately pulled its website offline upon notification of the breach and the database was removed the same day.

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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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