No. of Recommendations: 17
Sorry - just thought this was a bit more important to think abaut than the usual general interest post:
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/11/dna...https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7wl7rpndjoA DNA testing company that promised clients insights into their genetic disposition has suddenly disappeared. The BBC reports it tried several methods to reach the company but failed in this effort.
London offices are closed, nobody answers the phone, and clients are no longer capable of accessing their online records.
Although there is no evidence that any of the data has been misused, it is worrying to not know who now has access to the data, especially now that the investigation shows that there might be ties to Russia.
While four out of eight company officers have resigned, two of those that remain are listed at the same address in Moscow. That happens to be the same address as that of a Russian billionaire, who is described as a now resigned director.
Recent background:
In 2018, MyHeritage suffered a security incident which exposed the email addresses and hashed passwords of 92 million users.
In 2020, Ancestry was acquired by investment firm Blackstone for $4.7 billion, which raised questions about the potential commercialization of genetic data and its transfer to new owners.
And the ongoing saga of what happened at 23andMe is the clearest example of why people would be hesitant to submit genetic data. In 2023, cybercriminals put up information belonging to as many as seven million 23andMe customers for sale on criminal forums following a credential stuffing attack against the genomics company.
Since then all board members have resigned, except for CEO Anne Wojcicki who has stood by her plans to take the company private, raising again the subject of what happens to customer genetic data when a company is sold.
If you submit genetic material, research the company you want to trust with it thoroughly.
Only share the personal information you absolutely have to provide with the genetic testing company. Lie if you must and create a separate free email account so the information can’t be tied to your main account.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the company’s privacy policy and opt out of sharing information where possible. Make sure to stay informed about any policy updates or changes from the company.
Jeff
