Massive Data Breach: Dark Web Exposes Personal Information of 750 Million Users, Including Indians

Data leaks and breaches have become common in today’s digital environment, and incidents are on the rise. Following the revelations of the MOAB data breach that exposed 26 billion records, a recent development involving another database leak has come to light. This leak, which contains 1.8 terabytes of data from the “Indian Mobile Network Consumer Database”, contains the personal information of 750 million people. This database is now offered for sale on the dark web

The same was brought up by the cyber security company CloudSEK. “The magnitude of the data leak cannot be overestimated. When the personal information of 750 million people is exposed, the potential for cyber attacks and identity theft is unprecedented. Telecom providers and the government need to validate the data and identify the loophole,” said Sparsh Kulshrestha of CloudSEK.

He added: “This breach highlights the critical need for organizations and individuals to prioritize cyber security measures and remain vigilant.”

According to the cyber security firm, this massive data breach was discovered when the bad actor “CyboDevil” listed the data for sale on a dark web platform. The said database contains security sensitive information such as names, mobile numbers, addresses and Aadhaar details. 85% of the same contains information about Indian users. In addition, CloudSEK researchers found that the leak affects all major telecom operators.

“The data for sale is compressed to 600 GB and uncompressed to 1.8 TB, which poses significant risks to both individuals and organizations. The threat actor has demanded $3,000 for the entire data set,” the researchers said.

This leak could potentially lead to financial loss, undue stress, reputational damage and could lead to an increase in the frequency of cyber security attacks, the researchers added.