An unprotected database containing private information on hundreds of thousands of U.S. veterans was found by Jeremiah Fowler last month. The security researcher discovered evidence that hackers may have stolen the data during a cyberattack. The database belonged to United Valor Solutions, based in North Carolina. The company provides disability evaluation services for veterans and other federal or state agencies.
The database contains the private information and financial records of 189,469 U.S. veterans. The database also contained passwords that could be linked to internal accounts at United Valor, leaving the victims vulnerable to account takeover. The hacker threatened to release the data if .15Bitcoin was not paid in 48 hours. When notified of the breach, United Valor and its’ contractors secured the database.
Read more: Hackers Stole Data On Nearly 200,000 Veterans Seeking Disability Benefits