Discovery of the leak

The contents of the leak

• First name
• Last name
• • Mobile number
  • Email address

• Work phone number
• Address (in some cases)

Data verification and validation 

Impact

1. These details could be used to harass and blackmail officials.
2. Threat actors can use the PII in the data dump to orchestrate phishing campaigns, online and offline scams, and even identity theft.
3. Since the source of the leak is not known, there is a possibility that threat actors can continue to exploit it. 
4. Usually our mobile numbers and email IDs are linked to banking, mobile wallet, and other online accounts. Having these details makes it easier for threat actors to compromise the officials’ accounts. 

Next Steps

Recommendations for the affected officials

1. Enable multi-factor authentication for all online accounts. 
2. Don’t share OTPs with third-parties. While this is a rule of thumb, it is especially relevant in this case, because threat actors already have email IDs and phone numbers. So, the OTP is the only thing standing between threat actors and the officials’ accounts. 
3. Review all online accounts and financial statements for suspicious activity.
4. Caution friends and family against threat actors impersonating them.

Recommendations for the police forces

1. Inform the affected officials.
2. Identify the source of the leak and fix the vulnerability at the earliest.
3. Perform an audit to ascertain the full extent of the leak and check if threat actors have launched any other attacks.