Data Breach Hits 200,000 Malaysian Organ Donors: A Second Big Leak in Three Months
What Just Happened?
- Over 220,000 organ donors’ personal details, along with the contact data of their chosen next of kin, were posted online.
- The information includes names, ID numbers, race, nationality, addresses, and phone numbers.
- When you count the next of kin, that’s a total of 440,000 people exposed.
Why Is This So Alarmingly Big?
This isn’t the first time Malaysia has seen a massive data leak. In November, authorities were investigating a case where 46.2 million mobile‑phone subscribers’ data was allegedly sold online. That breach was one of the largest in all of Asia!
Where Did the Donor Data Come From?
Authorities suspect the information was taken from a central government database. The leak surfaced back in September 2016, but it remained quoted on various file‑sharing sites for years.
Public Response and Police Action
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is helping the police look into the breach. However, the police haven’t released a comment yet.
Lowyat.net’s Role and the Ongoing Campaign to Remove the Files
Founder Vijandren Ramadass discovered the leaked data on a popular free file‑sharing site. He says:
“The files are still online now. We asked the host to take them down on Sunday, but got no response.”
Lowyat.net has previously exposed the mobile‑user leak, which was powerful enough that cybercriminals could forge identities and make fake online purchases. That dataset even included private minutes from medical associations and a job portal.
What’s Next for the Victims?
- Victims are urged to change passwords and monitor bank accounts.
- Law enforcement is seeking to trace the individuals behind the data transfer.
- Experts recommend setting up a permanent alert for any future suspicious data use.
In short, this blow-up further proves that data security is a ticking time bomb. Everyone, from everyday citizens to large corporations, needs to stay on the lookout. Stay safe, and keep your data tight!
