An anonymous hacker has reportedly breached the Argentinian government’s IT network and put up on sale the private details of thousands of Argentineans.
Last month, the hacker targeted Argentina’s National Registry of Persons a.k.a. RENAPER, responsible for issuing ID cards to all citizens with data stored in digital formats as a database accessible to government agencies for queries on any citizen’s private information.
The agency is a crucial cog in most government queries for citizen’s personal information.
According to a report by The Record, the first evidence of breach surfaced earlier this month on Twitter when a newly registered account named @AnibalLeaks published ID card photos and private details for 44 Argentinian celebrities which included famous footballers Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero and Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez. Now, the hacker is evidently looking for a buyer to sell the private details of Argentina’s entire population.
The leaked data includes names, home addresses, birthdays, Trámite numbers, citizen numbers, government photo IDs, labor identification codes, ID card issuance and expiration dates. There have been speculations that a VPN from someone within the Ministry of Health had been used to access the Digital Identity System right before the Twitter account leaked the initial data on the high-profile Argentines. However, the law enforcement agencies are currently investigating eight to ten employees about having a possible role in this serious cybercrime.
“The black market for stolen data is big business, and cybercriminals will stop at nothing to find their next big payday. This attack should be a warning to governments: cybercriminals have the means to execute large-scale, sophisticated attacks, and their citizens' data is under threat," Tony Pepper, CEO of cybersecurity firm Egress Pepper said.
"With the data of millions at risk, Argentinian citizens are now prime targets for follow-up attacks, such as financial fraud, sophisticated phishing attempts and impersonation scams, aimed at stealing further personal data, identities and even their money."
According to security experts, this is one of the biggest breaches in the history of Argentina where the private details of 45 million Argentinian people have been put at great risk. Cybercrime is evolving and the government should strengthen their security protocols to protect its integrity.
