According to a new study, about 65% of households in America are at risk, as a database is available that exposes personal information. 65% corresponds to 80 million households.
The investigation was conducted by the VPNMentor research team and found that this database contains 24GB of detailed information, including names, addresses, ages, and dates of birth of household members.
The database is hosted on a Microsoft and also contains some coded information, which may be related to gender, marital status, income, status and type of residence.
All of this information is very personal. The good news, however, is that it doesn't include passwords, social security numbers, or bank card information.
The researchers examined some of the data found in the database and confirmed that it is true.
The discovery of the unprotected database was accidental, when the research team was carrying out a web mapping project to find holes in web systems, which are then examined for weaknesses and data leaks.
Typically, the owner of the database is notified so that the company can protect itself from the data leak. However, researchers were unable to find the owner of this particular database.
"The database is hosted on a cloud server, which means that the IP address associated with it is not necessarily linked to its owner," the researchers said.
The unsecured database was online until Monday and anyone could access it, as no password was required.
With the data they have, researchers believe the database could belong to an insurance or medical company.
Investigators tried to find the owner in order to take protective measures.
The database exposes a lot of information, which could be used by criminals for identity theft, fraud, phishing scams and even home invasions.
