In recent months, a cybersecurity breach has exposed the personal data of millions of Argentine citizens. An individual uploaded a database to a specialized forum for the buying and selling of personal data that reportedly contains 65 million records taken from Renaper. Earlier in the month, another attacker leaked a file containing 116,459 photos of Argentine citizens from the same entity.
The Government refuted claims of a hack to the system, stating that technical teams from Renaper and cybersecurity company DANAIDE SA confirmed no breach of the organization’s database. However, cybersecurity expert Cristian Borghello argues that the leaked data includes a significant portion of Renaper’s internal systems’ source code, exposing user passwords in plain text and connections to other companies. The leaked information extends until June 2022 and includes not only citizen data but also connectivity data to other entities.
The leaked data from Renaper includes personal information, documents, SMS from coronavirus records, and even a file containing information on military ranks. Access to internal accounts lasts until June 2022, with a large number of system users having the password ‘1234.’ This kind of personal data is often used for cybercrimes like identity theft.
Celebrities’ driving licenses, including the President of the Nation and several officials, were included in the leaked files earlier this week. The same individual who uploaded the Renaper information also shared data from Nosis users last week. The Government denies that such a massive amount of data could be gathered without detection, citing the infrastructure required to obtain information on 65 million people.
In conclusion, this cybersecurity breach highlights the importance of protecting sensitive personal data and ensuring robust security measures are in place to prevent such attacks in future.