Editor’s note: The headline of this story has been updated to reflect that 23andMe ancestry data was hacked — not DNA data.
In a significant security breach, genetic testing company 23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:ME), confirmed that hackers have accessed around 14,000 customer accounts and an undisclosed number of files containing users’ ancestry data.
What Happened: 23andMe disclosed in a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that a cyber attack had infiltrated 0.1% of its customer base. Given the company’s global customer count of over 14 million, this implies roughly 14,000 affected accounts, reported TechCrunch.
Besides gaining access to these accounts, hackers also acquired a significant number of files related to the ancestry profiles of other users who had used 23andMe’s DNA Relatives feature. The number of files and users impacted is yet to be revealed.
The hackers utilized a method called “credential stuffing” during the breach ...