Siriluk_9Near hacker_leak data of 55 million Thais

[Siriluk Dungdawadueng]

1. Brief Description of the Story:

The Criminal Court in Thailand ordered the blocking of the website 9near.org after it threatened to release the personal data of 55 million Thais, reportedly leaked from vaccine registrations. The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry expects the hacker, known as “9Near—Hactivist,” to be arrested soon. The hacker claimed to have obtained the names, surnames, birthdates, ID card numbers, and telephone numbers of Thai nationals.

2. Impact and Consequences of the Data Breach:

• Privacy Violation: The personal data of 55 million Thai nationals were compromised.
• Security Risks: Potential misuse of sensitive information for identity theft or fraud.
• Public Trust: Erosion of trust in government data security measures.

3. How the Data Breach Occurred:

The data breach occurred when a hacker, known as “9Near – Hactivist,” claimed to have obtained the personal data of 55 million Thai nationals from vaccine registrations. The data included names, birthdates, ID card numbers, and telephone numbers. The hacker threatened to release the data unless contacted by April 5. The breach was reportedly from the Public Health Ministry’s Immunisation Centre. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry sought a court order to block the website 9near.org, which was granted. The hacker later announced the operation was stopped due to a conflict with their sponsor.

4. Main Cause of the Data Breach:

Database Misconfiguration: The breach likely resulted from improper security measures or vulnerability in the vaccine registration database.

5. Prevention Measures:

• Enhanced Security Protocols: Implement robust encryption and access controls.
• Regular Audits: Conduct frequent security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Employee Training: Educate staff on data security best practices.
• Incident Response Plan: Develop and maintain a comprehensive incident response plan.

[Tanaphum Wichaita]

Hello Siriluk, Thank you for explaining the 9Near data breach in detail. I agree that improving security measures is very important to stop incidents like this. Adding hashing for things like ID card number would help protect the data, so even if a hacker gets it, they wouldn’t be able to see the real ID card numbers.

[Saranath]

I agreed that regular monitoring and audit of the system is one of a critical measure to early detect and prevent the data breach event.

[Author]

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