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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."

5 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?

  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.

  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.