A Dutch hаcker was apprehended for trying to sell nine million Austrian registration data that had been obtained via a data leak. The hаcker, who is 25 years old, had taken data from countries such as the Netherlands, Thailand, China, Colombia, and Great Britain, among others.
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The cause of the leak was an employee who had used GIS data during testing and was not careful with it. The Fee Information Service (GIS) was hаcked in May 2020, resulting in the discovery of data that belonged to Austrians on a dark web market. Almost all Austrian registration data were impacted, according to Klaus Mits, head of the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office's Department for Cybercrime.
The Dutch hаcker had roughly 130,000 databases in his collection, as well as patient data. It was discovered that an employee of a business who utilized GIS data during testing and left the data unsecured was the cause of the leak. Die Presse disclosed this incident, which resulted in the hаcker's arrest in November 2022.
The cybercriminal potentially victimized the population of Italy, totalling around 61 million individuals in 2020. He also disseminated an illegitimate database containing their information online without knowing how he obtained it. Similarly, he targeted citizens of Colombia, numbering approximately 51 million people as of 2020.
Additionally, he made a database of Dutch residents available on the internet, which he himself had collected (17.5 million people as of 2020). It remains unclear how this large quantity of data on tens of millions of individuals ended up in one person's possession. The investigation of this matter is ongoing, but the Alpine National Police has not disclosed any further details.
Law enforcement officials have been keeping information about this productive cybercriminal and the four countries' databases confidential to avoid impeding the investigation. It is unknown why the information was released at the present time.
According to officials, the cyberattack targeted the citizen registration database, compromising personal information such as names, addresses, and identification numbers of thousands of individuals. The attackers gained unauthorized access to the sensitive data, raising concerns about potential misuse and identity theft. Austrian authorities are working diligently to investigate the breach and enhance cybersecurity measures to prevent future attacks.
In another context, as a cybersecurity expert, I would approach this matter from a technical perspective. The cyberattack on citizen registration data in Austria is a serious breach that highlights the importance of robust security measures. It is crucial for organizations to implement encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. Additionally, educating users about phishing scams and social engineering tactics can help mitigate the risk of such malicious activities.
This incident presents an opportunity for the Austrian government to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability. By openly sharing details of the cyberattack and the steps being taken to address the breach, they can build trust with citizens and reassure them that their personal information is being safeguarded.
From a marketing standpoint, it's important for the government to communicate a clear and proactive response, highlighting measures to strengthen cybersecurity and protect citizen data. Leveraging social media, press releases, and public statements, they can convey a message of resilience and dedication to upholding data security standards. This can help restore confidence in the government's ability to protect sensitive information and maintain public trust.