Your Private Information for Sale: A Serious National Security Concern
Imagine having a super-secret diary with all your personal stuff in it. Now, think about someone sneaking into your room, grabbing your diary, and selling all your secrets. Well, that's a little like what's happening with the private information of American military service members.
"The data brokerage ecosystem is a multi-billion-dollar industry comprised of companies gathering, inferring, aggregating, and then selling, licensing, and sharing data on Americans as well as providing technological services based on that data. After previously discovering that data brokers were advertising data about current and former U.S. military personnel, this study sought to understand (a) what kinds of data that data brokers were gathering and selling about military service members and (b) the risk that a foreign actor, such as a foreign adversary government, could acquire the data to undermine U.S. national security. This study involved scraping hundreds of data broker websites to look for terms like “military” and “veteran,” contacting U.S. data brokers from a U.S. domain to inquire about and purchase data on the U.S. military, and contacting U.S. data brokers from a .asia domain to inquire about and purchase the same. It concludes with a discussion of the risks to U.S. military service members and U.S. national security, paired with policy recommendations for the federal government to address the risks at hand."
By Justin Sherman, Hayley Barton, Aden Klein, Brady Kruse, and Anushka Srinivasan | The Cyber Policy Program at Duke University’s Sanford School
November 2023
Data Brokers: The Secret Sellers
There are these companies called "data brokers," and they gather all sorts of secret info about people. It's like they're spying on you but legally. They collect details about your health, money, and more. Then, they sell this info to others.
Data Brokers on the Rise
These data brokers have been growing like crazy. In the last four years, there have been 239% more "large breaches" where they take loads of info. It's a bit like a digital break-in, but instead of stealing your TV, they take your personal data.
National Security Threat
Now, here's where it gets really serious. Researchers found out that the data brokers were selling secrets about the military! They got info about active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. This included stuff like their health conditions, how much money they owe, and even their family details.
Spies and Secrets
The researchers also said that these secrets could be a big problem for national security. Think about it this way: other countries might want to know all about our military. If they buy this secret info, they can use it to do sneaky stuff.
Too Easy to Buy
The scariest part is how easy it was for the researchers to buy all this info. They didn't have to jump through hoops or prove who they were. It's like someone selling candy to anyone who asks, even if they're a stranger.
What's Being Done?
Some politicians are really worried about this. They say it's a big problem for our country's security. They want new laws to protect our secrets. They think the government needs to step in and make sure data brokers can't sell this kind of info.
So, it's like a big digital adventure with spies and secrets, but in real life. And it's up to the grown-ups in Congress to figure out how to keep our secrets safe from these data broker spies.
Source: https://techpolicy.sanford.duke.edu
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