Discussion:
Big Data firm, huge leak of personal data
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RS Wood
2017-06-19 17:32:16 UTC
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More laughs as a result of big data firms compiling (often via purchase
from other data gatherers/compilers/middlemen/merchants) sensitive
personal data, but failing to secure it. Shits and giggles for
everyone!

https://gizmodo.com/gop-data-firm-accidentally-leaks-personal-details-of-ne-1796211612

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Political data gathered on more than 198 million US citizens was
exposed this month after a marketing firm contracted by the Republican
National Committee stored internal documents on a publicly accessible
Amazon server.

The data leak contains a wealth of personal information on roughly 61
percent of the US population. Along with home addresses, birthdates,
and phone numbers, the records include advanced sentiment analyses used
by political groups to predict where individual voters fall on
hot-button issues such as gun ownership, stem cell research, and the
right to abortion, as well as suspected religious affiliation and
ethnicity. The data was amassed from a variety of sources—from the
banned subreddit r/fatpeoplehate to American Crossroads, the super PAC
co-founded by former White House strategist Karl Rove.

...

UpGuard cyber risk analyst Chris Vickery discovered Deep Root’s data
online last week. More than a terabyte was stored on the cloud server
without the protection of a password and could be accessed by anyone
who found the URL. Many of the files did not originate at Deep Root,
but are instead the aggregate of outside data firms and Republican
super PACs, shedding light onto the increasingly advanced data
ecosystem that helped propel President Donald Trump’s slim margins in
key swing states.

...

“Data like that would be a combination of polling data, real world data
from door-knocking and phone-calling and other canvassing activities,
coupled with modeling using the data we already have to extrapolate
what the voters we don’t know about would think,” the strategist said.
“The campaigns that do it right combine all the available data together
to make the most robust model for every single voter in the target
universe.” “We take full responsibility for this situation.”

In a statement, Deep Root founder Alex Lundry told Gizmodo, “We take
full responsibility for this situation.” He said the data included
proprietary information as well as publicly available voter data
provided by state government officials. “Since this event has come to
our attention, we have updated the access settings and put protocols in
place to prevent further access,” Lundry said.

Deep Root’s data was exposed after the company updated its security
settings on June 1, Lundry said. Deep Root has retained Stroz
Friedberg, a cybersecurity and digital forensics firm, to investigate.
“Based on the information we have gathered thus far, we do not believe
that our systems have been hacked,” Lundry added.

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RS Wood <***@therandymon.com>
Huge
2017-06-20 16:31:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by RS Wood
In a statement, Deep Root founder Alex Lundry told Gizmodo, “We take
full responsibility for this situation.”
What, like they're going to compensate everyone who gets phished as a result?

[derisive snort]
--
I don't have an attitude problem. If you have a problem with my
attitude, that's your problem.
Kerry Imming
2017-06-20 17:27:36 UTC
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Post by Huge
What, like they're going to compensate everyone who gets phished as a result?
No, but you can take great comfort in knowing that they're really,
really sorry.

- Kerry
The Real Bev
2017-06-20 19:39:52 UTC
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Post by Kerry Imming
Post by Huge
What, like they're going to compensate everyone who gets phished as a result?
No, but you can take great comfort in knowing that they're really,
really sorry.
I, for one, feel much better knowing that their thoughts and prayers are
with us at this troubled time.
--
Cheers, Bev
"On the other hand, I live in California so I'd be willing to
squeeze schoolchildren to death if I thought some oil would
come out." -- Scott Adams
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