TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Breach Forums user claimed to have 10GB of detailed profiles of Taiwanese citizens stolen from an unknown location and has put the data up for sale for US$150,000 (NT$4.54 million).
A military expert told LTN that he recently discovered the sales pitch at a foreign hacker forum, saying the suspected data breach "freaked him out." Data leaks pertaining to Taiwanese citizens of various professions contain their locations, family backgrounds, professions, hobbies, personalities, responsiveness, political preference, and strengths as well as weaknesses.
One of the profiles showcased by the forum user seemingly belongs to a university professor of economics: a male, aged 50, married with two children.
In the profile listing, the professor was described as proactively joining cross-strait exchange activities, and having the personality of a prudent leader, having an active social life, and contributing opinion pieces to newspapers outside his daytime teaching job. The political leanings of the professor are listed as "pro-Taiwan independence, though it's not ostensibly obvious."
The profile also displays how and where the professor was connected with an intelligence worker in 2016, and how the relationship with the individual can be leveraged despite the halt of cross-strait exchanges.
The other profile showcased in the sales pitch belongs to a female, single, aged 35. The woman was described as a civil servant who loves networking and making friends and is apolitical. The intelligence report shows interest in her due to her previous job as a university administrative employee that exposed her to several cross-strait exchange activities.
An intelligence officer told LTN on Monday (Jan. 16) that the bureau has launched an investigation on the data leak and declined to give out more details as the investigation is underway.
