Why A DNA Data Breach Is Worse Than A Credit Card Leak

DNA testing service MyHeritage recently revealed that hackers had breached 92 million accounts on their service. Luckily, the hackers were unable to access the actual data and only got hold of passwords and encrypted emails. This time, at least. We will most likely face similar situations in the future, and this article has multiple voices emphasizing the importance of protection of genetic data in the fast-growing industry of DNA-based services.

There are many parties who could benefit from having access to personal genetic data, and the potential of using the data against someone cannot be understated. Two main ways highlighted are:

Blackmailing. There may be factors in your genome you do not want employers, family or the authorities to be aware of. And you many not even be aware of these insights yourself. Here exists room for hackers to blackmail users.

Selling. Factors in your genome could be of significant interest to companies you interact with. We can imagine a scenario of a person applying for a long-term loan and getting rejected because deep in the corporate system there is data that the person is likely to get Alzheimer’s and die before being able to repay the loan. This would amount to genetic discrimination.

The differences from credit card hacking are multiple. First, you share your DNA with your family. Even if they haven’t tested themselves, your results could make them traceable and vulnerable as well. Secondly, a credit card can be cancelled and replaced. Your genome cannot. If breached, it is compromised forever.

We put a lot of trust in the consumer companies that are promising to help us understand who we are genetically. As genetic data tests get more common, keeping results private are equally important to getting accurate results.