SAN ANTONIO – Customers who use the company known for its DNA testing services could have had their genetic data stolen and the impact on the Ashkenazi Jewish community is of particular concern.
“The challenge with the 23andMe is that the information that was taken, to my knowledge, was shared with specific minority groups, in particular the Ashkenazi Jewish connection,” said Nehemia “Nammie” Ichilov, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio.
The San Francisco-based company said its customer profile information that customers opted into sharing through its DNA relatives feature was collected without account users’ authorization.
23andMe believes the hackers accessed certain accounts when users recycled login credentials. The company said the usernames and passwords used on the 23andMe website were the same as those used on other websites that have been hacked.
“So, it’s a very concerning breach of data, but, unfortunately, when data is shared publicly like that, there’s no taking it back,” said Ichilov.
Access to personal information such as date of birth, ancestry results and geographical location raises significant concerns. Ichilov says it leaves those impacted not knowing how to protect themselves and adds that the situation is uncharted territory.
“We’ve had identity theft before, but this is a whole another level of identity theft,” said Ichilov.
In a statement, 23andMe says that if it learns that a customer’s data has been accessed, it’ll contact that person directly with more information.
“Our investigation continues, and we have engaged the assistance of third-party forensic experts. We are also working with federal law enforcement officials,” said 23andMe.
“Out of caution, we are requiring that all customers reset their passwords and are encouraging the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA),” it added.
The Jewish Federation of San Antonio says its national organizations are working on learning more about the situation.
“The challenge is always trying to figure out what was the intent and what was the benefit to the person who caused it. We’re still at the stages of trying to figure that out to better understand if this is a Jewish community issue or if this is a societal issue,” said Ichilov.
In the meantime, Ichilov said if a community member fears their well-being and safety, contact the police immediately. He said The Jewish Federation of San Antonio is available to assist in any way it can.