Data broker blunder: More than 600,000 sensitive files exposed in data services leak [Video]

There are companies whose entire business model is built around collecting personal data, including criminal records, employment details, addresses and more. They use this data to offer background check services to other businesses and individuals. However, while they profit from this information, they often fail to adequately protect it. Earlier this year, the National Public Data made headlines for failing to secure 2.7 billion records of people whose data it collected. Now, on a smaller scale, another data aggregator has exposed the personal information of 600,000 Americans.

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What information leaked?

As reported by Website Planet, the exposed database contained 644,869 PDF files, totaling 713.1 GB of sensitive data. These documents mainly consisted of background checks but also included court records, vehicle ownership details such as license plates and VINs, and property ownership reports. The background checks …