Breach, Threat Management, Data Security

Data dump contains PII on over 4.9M Georgians; origin unknown

A member of a hacking forum has reportedly posted data corresponding to over 4.9 million of citizens from the country of Georgia, both living and dead.

The leaked dataset was made available via a 1.04 GB Microsoft Access database file, according to a report from ZDNet, which was alerted to the dump by breach monitoring and prevention service Under the Breach. Compromised information includes names, home addresses, birth dates, ID numbers and mobile phone numbers.

Under the Breach said in a tweet that the records date back to 2011. But the origin of the data remains unknown. A threat intelligence analyst replying to the breach under the Twitter name Breach Radar suggested this was old info that had previously been shared on other open and/or closed forums.

Under the Breach had theorized that the data was lifted from a voter database kept by Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC). But the CEC denied it, noting to ZDNet that it doesn't collect some of the types of data that were found in the dump. Adding to the mystery, an individual who shared the data on the forums declined to name the source of the information.

Bradley Barth

As director of multimedia content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for online conferences, webcasts, podcasts video/multimedia projects — often serving as moderator or host. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

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