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Childbirth Charity Hack Leaks 15,000 Expectant Parents Data (thestack.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the unborn-identity-theft dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A data breach has been uncovered at the UK's National Childbirth Trust, with over 15,000 new and expectant parents' details compromised. The charity "has apologized to its users and has informed them that their email addresses, usernames and an encrypted version of their passwords had been exposed in the data leak," according to The Stack. "It has assured members that no sensitive or financial information was accessed. The hack, which targeted the NCT's registration database, has since been reported to the police and the UK's data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office."

13 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. non news by quenda · · Score: 2

    Webserver front-end was compromised, not the database. Not quite the Panama papers, is it? Non-news for nerds?

    1. Re:non news by inode_buddha · · Score: 1

      "Webserver front-end was compromised, not the database. Not quite the Panama papers, is it? Non-news for nerds?"

      Yeah, pretty much non-news for nerds. I highly doubt they will worry much about the childbirth part.

      --
      C|N>K
  2. Rip by NadNad · · Score: 2

    For some, it wouldn't be the first time protection had been breached.

  3. not sensitive information? by darkitecture · · Score: 2

    The charity "has apologized to its users and has informed them that their email addresses, usernames and an encrypted version of their passwords had been exposed in the data leak," according to The Stack. "It has assured members that no sensitive or financial information was accessed."

    Dear groups, companies and corporations: Just because you think or say your users' email addresses and usernames are not considered sensitive information does not mean your users do not consider it sensitive information.

    Feel free to publicly post all the private email addresses and usernames you use on websites if you think it's not sensitive.

    1. Re:not sensitive information? by fendragon · · Score: 2

      Also, anyone selling baby care products and a whole range of related home stuff would place huge value on a list like that. It's well known to marketers that new parenthood is a time when people are likely to change their shopping habits. Those email addresses are going to get deluged with spam.

    2. Re:not sensitive information? by mwvdlee · · Score: 1

      What kind of encryption did they use for the passwords?
      If they did the minimal thing of a plain MD5, these passwords might as well have been unencrypted.

      Apart from the obvious use of these email addresses to spammers, the combination of a username and email address will probably let some people's email be abused for purposes beyond spamming. I.e. celebrities or political/business leaders.

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  4. Sensitive information by RenHoek · · Score: 2

    "no sensitive or financial information was accessed."

    I think the fact that the whole world now knows you are pregnant can in itself be considered 'sensitive' in some peoples cases.

  5. Let's hear the justifications by mi · · Score: 1

    A data breach has been uncovered at the UK's National Childbirth Trust, with over 15,000 new and expectant parents' details compromised

    So, what would the justifications be this time? Donald Trump's mistress exposed? Torture by MI6 proven? What?

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  6. When are we expecting? by penguinoid · · Score: 1

    When are we expecting a copy of the data to be posted?

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  7. Spambabies by flyingfsck · · Score: 1

    It is to be expected that the expectant parents and expected babies can expect to receive a lot of spam now.

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    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  8. Re:Those breeder... by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

    Not destroying the planet. Just rendering it unfit for habitation by breeders and the innocent.

    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  9. Meanwhile FaceBook and Amazon by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

    Do exactly the same, but ten times as much every day.

    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  10. i am no longer surprised by datadefender · · Score: 1

    seems these hacks and leaks happen almost every day now.
    I am convinced it can happen to ANY of us - any day.
    So we must develop a reslience against these inevitables leaks.