Personal data of Ecuador’s entire population leaked online, say experts

Almost the entire population of Ecuador had their personal data leaked online, security experts said Monday, a massive breach that the government called a “very delicate” issue.

An estimated 17 million people, including almost seven million minors and children, had their data exposed by a breach on an unsecured server run by an Ecuadorean marketing and analytics firm.

“The information that I can share with you at this moment is that this is a very delicate issue, it is a major concern for the whole of the government and the state,” said Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo.

The security company vpnMentor uncovered the breach on the server run by the firm Novaestrat, which included citizens’ full names, dates and places of birth, education levels, phone numbers and national identity card numbers.