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WhatsApp denied a data breach report by Cybernews which claimed that the personal data of around 500 million individuals on the social media platform was available for sale on the dark web.
The instant messaging platform said that the report was based on unsubstantiated screenshots. A cybersecurity firm Check Point Research (CPR) came out with a report backing the Cybernews’ claims, CNBC reported.
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According to the cybersecurity firm, the leak has affected 360 million WhatsApp users from 18 countries.
“Each country has different records that have been exposed, ranging from 604 in Bosnia and Herzegovina to 35 million attributed to Italy. In the past four days the files, which included international dial codes and were for the first set for sale, are now being distributed freely amongst hackers,” the company said.
The data being sold online was first exposed on November 16 through the hacking forum BreachForums, claiming to sell personal information of 487 million WhatsApp users from 84 countries.
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