In the Scam of the day for October 10, 2023 I told you that the genetic testing company 23andMe had suffered a data breach that compromised genetic and ancestry data of 6.9 million of its users and the apparent hackers had already offered for sale what they say is the stolen information on the Dark Web, that part of the Internet where criminals buy and sell goods and services.    A class action related to the data breach has been settled.  The website to file a claim has not been launched but will be 23andmedatasettlement.com once it goes live. There will be online submission and mail submission options to file a claim.

It is difficult to determine what kinds of use the hackers would make from the genetic data that may be compromised, however, along with the genetic data, 23andMe also has much other personal information including email addresses which would enable the cybercriminals to create believable, specifically tailored spear phishing emails using the compromised information to lure their victims into clicking on links or providing personal information that could result in identity theft or various types of malware attacks including ransomware.

TIPS

Following the data breach settlement and the resignation of its directors, the company has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer.  But what does that mean to the security of your personal information?  The genetic information held by 23andMe is not subject to the HIPAA medical privacy rules which protects patient information and no one can know what a buyer of the company will do to protect the security of any of your personal information.  I think the best course of action is to delete your account and personal information with 23andMe.  Here are the steps you need to take to do so.

1. Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps:
2. Log into your 23andMe account on their website.
3. Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
4. Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.
5. Click “View” next to “23andMe Data”
6. Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
7. Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
8. Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
9. Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.

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