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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 6 July 2022
Alleged Chinese police database hack leaks data of 1 billion

ZEN SOO ing director at Hong Kong-
Associated Press based security firm Network
HONG KONG (AP) — Hack- Box. “There are approxi-
ers claim to have obtained mately 12 billion compro-
a trove of data on 1 billion mised accounts posted on
Chinese from a Shanghai the Dark Web right now.
police database in a leak That’s more than the to-
that, if confirmed, could tal number of people in
be one of the largest data the world,” he said, add-
breaches in history. ing that a majority of data
In a post on the online hack- leaks often come from the
ing forum Breach Forums U.S.
last week, someone using Chester Wisniewski, prin-
the handle “ChinaDan” cipal research scientist at
offered to sell nearly 24 cybersecurity firm Sophos,
terabytes (24 TB) of data in- said that the breach is
cluding what they claimed “potentially incredibly em-
was information on 1 billion barrassing to the Chinese
people and “several billion government,” and the po-
case records” for 10 Bitcoin, litical harm would probably
worth about $200,000. outweigh damage to the
The data purportedly in- people whose data was
cludes information from Chinese policemen patrol the bund area, Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Shanghai. leaked.
the Shanghai National Po- Associated Press Most of the data is similar
lice database including to what advertising com-
names, addresses, national The Associated Press could skeptical until they man- to a lack of privacy and it’s panies that run banner ads
identification numbers and not immediately verify the aged to verify some of “horrifying.” would have, he said.
mobile phone numbers as authenticity of the data the personal data leaked Experts said the breach, if “When you’re talking
well as case details. samples. Shanghai po- online by attempting to confirmed, would be the about a billion people’s
A sample of data seen by lice did not immediately search for people on Ali- biggest in history. information and it’s static
The Associated Press listed respond to a request for pay using their personal in- Kendra Schaefer, a partner information, it’s not about
names, birthdates, ages comment. formation. for technology at policy where they traveled, who
and mobile numbers. One The data leak initially “Everyone, please be care- research firm Trivium Chi- they communicated with
person was listed as hav- sparked discussion on Chi- ful in case there are more na, said in a tweet that it’s or what they were doing,
ing been born in “2020,” nese social media plat- phone scams in the future!” “hard to parse truth from then it becomes very much
with their age listed as “1,” forms such as Weibo, but they said in a Weibo post. the rumor mill, but can con- less interesting,” Wisniewski
suggesting that information censors have since moved Another person comment- firm file exists.” said. Still, once hackers
on minors was included in to block keyword searches ed on Weibo that the leak Such data leaks are fairly get data and put it on-
the data obtained in the for “Shanghai data leak.” means everyone is “running common, according to line it’s impossible to fully
breach. One person said they were naked” slang used to refer Michael Gazeley, manag- remove.q

Rebel land mine wounds 7 soldiers

in central Philippines

mar province when an ex- by government forces, he cessor, Rodrigo Duterte,
plosion wounded the sev- said. to fight the insurgency by
en soldiers, regional army On Friday, a day after Mar- bringing infrastructure,
commander Maj. Gen. Ed- cos Jr. was sworn in after housing and livelihood proj-
gardo de Leon said. winning a landslide victory ects to the poverty-stricken
Two of the wounded sol- in a May 9 election, gov- countryside.
diers were in critical condi- ernment troops assaulted The task force has drawn
tion, he said, adding that eight communist rebels, kill- criticism for linking several
no villagers were injured. ing one, in a brief gunbattle left-wing activists and gov-
“Some of the soldiers were in central Negros Oriental ernment critics to the com-
tossed away because the province, the army said. munist insurgency, in what
Members of the New People’s Army communist rebels with face
painted to conceal their identities, march with their firearms rebels have been using re- Marcos Jr. must deal with Duterte’s opponents said
before a news conference held at their guerrilla encampment ally powerful land mines,” decades-long communist was baseless “red-tagging”
tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre mountains de Leon said. and Muslim insurgencies, aimed at muzzling legiti-
southeast of Manila, Philippines, Nov. 23, 2016. The government will file along with longstanding mate dissent.
Associated Press criminal complaints against territorial disputes with Chi- Despite battle setbacks, in-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) week. Army troops were rebel leaders for the attack na and other claimants in fighting and factionalism,
— A land mine set by sus- checking reports from vil- and the use of internation- the South China Sea. the communist insurgency
pected communist guerril- lagers of anti-personnel ally banned types of land During the campaign, has continued to rage,
las wounded seven soldiers mines laid by rebels from mines, de Leon told report- he said he would pursue mostly in rural areas, for
in the central Philippines on the New People’s Army, ers. peace talks with com- more than half a century
Tuesday, in one of the insur- the Communist Party of the The soldiers were not able munist insurgents and in one of Asia’s longest-run-
gents’ first known attacks Philippines’ armed wing, to open fire at the rebels, expressed support for a ning rebellions. It currently
since President Ferdinand along a village trail in Ma- who fled after the attack government task force es- has an estimated 2,700
Marcos Jr. took office last panas town in Northern Sa- and were being hunted tablished under his prede- armed fighters.q