23andMe hack let “risk actor” entry information for hundreds of thousands of shoppers, firm says

Hackers accessed the non-public information of hundreds of thousands of people that used companies from the genetic testing company 23andMe in October, the corporate confirmed Monday.

When did 23andMe know in regards to the hack?

The corporate launched an investigation in October after a “risk actor” claimed on-line to have 23andMe customers’ profile data.

A spokesperson on the time stated the corporate believed risk actors targeted the accounts of 23andMe customers who had reused usernames and passwords from different websites that had been hacked. The spokesperson did not reveal how many individuals had been impacted by the hack.

On Friday, the corporate acknowledged in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the hacker accessed 0.1% of 23andMe’s consumer accounts.

Whereas the hacker solely accessed about 14,000 accounts by the assault, a characteristic on 23andMe permits customers to see details about attainable kinfolk, an organization spokesperson stated. By exploiting this characteristic, the hacker was in a position to view the knowledge of hundreds of thousands of customers.

A 23andMe spokesperson on Monday clarified that about 5.5 million prospects had their “DNA Family” profiles accessed in an unauthorized method. The profiles comprise data similar to show names, predicted relationships with others and the DNA percentages the consumer shares with matches.

Moreover, about 1.4 million prospects collaborating within the Family characteristic had their “Household Tree” profile data accessed, which 23andMe describes as a restricted subset of the Family profile information. 

As of Friday, 23andMe stated it was nonetheless within the means of notifying affected customers. The corporate is now requiring present prospects to reset their passwords and allow two-step verification. 

The corporate stated it believes “risk actor exercise is contained.”

What’s 23andMe?

The corporate analyzes individuals’s DNA from saliva samples offered by prospects. The corporate produces experiences in regards to the prospects’ DNA that features details about their ancestry and genetic well being dangers.