Unknown hackers claim to have stolen the data of a billion Chinese in a break-in at a Shanghai police database. It would be the largest data theft ever in China.
The person or group behind the theft offers the data for sale for 10 bitcoins, worth about $191,000. The data would include names, addresses, dates of birth, national identification numbers, phone numbers and criminal offense records, according to an anonymous post on a cybersecurity forum.
The scale of the alleged hack is causing a stir in the Chinese cybersecurity sector. The credibility of the claim is questioned and there is speculation as to how the data breach may have started. One of the theories is that the hackers were able to penetrate the database through a third party that offers cloud services.
Shanghai authorities and local police have not commented on the allegations. The Chinese regulator also did not respond.
China is often pointed to as one of the main home bases for cybercriminals, but little is known about domestic cyberattacks.
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