A company that tracks and sells Americans’ location data has seemingly been hacked
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Russian cybercriminals have hacked one of the largest companies that tracks Americans’ location through smartphone data in exchange for ransom, according to two cybersecurity researchers, a person who has posted a massive trove of allegedly hacked files and a notice the company sent to the Norwegian government. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. The incident would be one of the largest known breaches of a handful of controversial U.S.
AI Summary
Main Idea: Gravy Analytics, a company that sells location data on Americans, appears to have been hacked, and the breach may involve a large trove of sensitive data.
Key Points:
- Cybersecurity researchers and a leaked notice say Russian cybercriminals may have stolen data from Gravy and demanded ransom.
- The company said it found unauthorized access to its Amazon cloud storage and is still investigating.
- Researchers said the stolen files may include email addresses and location records tied to millions of people.
- The FTC recently accused Gravy and its subsidiary Venntel of illegally collecting and selling Americans’ location data without proper consent.
Impact on the People
Negative Impact
A hack of Gravy Analytics could expose Americans’ location histories, putting consumers, patients, and workers at risk of stalking, scams, and unwanted surveillance.
Positive Impact
The FTC’s action may push stronger limits on data brokers and give people more privacy protection.
How did each entity affect people?
Rate how each entity in this article affected the American people.
- Primary:Gravy Analyticscompany
Candidate Entities10 candidates · 5 weighted vote min · 70% decision
- Gravy AnalyticscompanyPrimaryEvaluated
Central company alleged to have been hacked and accused of illegally collecting and selling Americans’ location data.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Federal Trade Commissiongovernment agency or bodyMajorAI selected
Federal regulator that accused Gravy Analytics and Venntel of unlawful data collection and sale.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Russian cybercriminalspersonMajorAI selected
Identified as the alleged attackers and ransom-seekers behind the breach.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Amazon Web Servicesbrand / productContextCandidate
Cloud platform where Gravy said unauthorized access occurred.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - HuntresscompanyContextCandidate
Cybersecurity company whose researcher analyzed the leaked data and commented on the breach.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Norways data protection authoritygovernment agency or bodyContextCandidate
Recipient of the private breach notification and part of the article’s reporting on the incident.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Predicta LabcompanyContextCandidate
Privacy and location-data company whose CEO analyzed the sample leak and estimated its scale.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold
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