A database containing personal information of 81 million Mexican citizens has been put up for sale on a clandestine forum on the dark web, raising concerns among cybersecurity experts. Victor Ruiz, founder of SILIKN and cybersecurity expert, alerted about this situation, identifying the post in a Russian dark web forum. The database is being offered by a cybercriminal known as Intel_Data, who is asking for an amount equivalent to about 1,000-1,500 dollars for it. Additionally, he claims to have samples available and mentions having more databases from other countries.
The data leak includes detailed information such as full names, exact addresses, postal codes, states, municipalities, and electoral data, such as sections and districts, suggesting that the source could be a government institution or a telecommunications company. Victor Ruiz mentions that "it is presumed that the database originates from a major telecommunications and telephone company in the country."
Intel_Data is no stranger to the black market for information; he has been involved in selling other massive databases, such as records of U.S. citizens, databases of loan companies, and from other countries like Thailand, Taiwan, and Brazil. Ruiz describes Intel_Data as an "information broker specialized in the buying and selling of databases."
The leak of this database represents a significant risk to the security of Mexican citizens, as sensitive data could be used by cybercriminals to commit financial fraud, identity theft, extortion, and even physical threats. This underscores the importance of strengthening cybersecurity measures at both the corporate and governmental levels. It is essential to investigate the source of the leak and take action to protect those affected, as well as strengthen regulations on data protection and expand awareness campaigns against fraud.
