Oracle Corporation Data Breach (2020)

Billions of records belonging to a database maintained by cloud platform BlueKai were left exposed online due to a security lapse, according to a TechCrunch report. BlueKai, a startup acquired by Oracle in 2014 maintains a large database acquired through web tracking. It is meant to map user trends online in order to help marketers target potential consumers, the report said. BlueKai uses website cookies and other tracking technology to track user activity on the web. The data is meant to help advertisers create targeted ads. However, due to a security lapse in one of the servers which were left without a password, billions of records from a database were exposed online. The data breach was discovered by security researcher Anurag Sen who the reported his findings to tech major Oracle through Roi Carthy, chief executive at cybersecurity firm Hudson Rock, the report said. TechCrunch then reviewed the data shared by Sen. The data contained records of personal information including names, home addresses, email addresses and other identifiable data. Some of the records were detailed enough to trace back a person based on their online activity. In one instance, TechCrunch based on the records was able to trace back a €10 bet on an esports betting site on April 19 back to a man in Germany with details including his name. The data also contained web browsing activity ranging from online purchases to newsletter unsubscribes as per the report.