Data brokers are collecting and selling reams of sensitive personal information about members of the military, according to Duke University research. That could put national security at risk, the researchers say.
It’s possible to buy data on thousands of military personnel, including information as personal as health issues and gambling habits, for less than $0.50 per person, according to research from Duke University published on Monday.
The researchers, working on Duke University’s data brokerage project, contacted 12 different data brokers to see what servicemembers’ data was for sale, then bought information from three. Alongside health and financial information, some of the brokers were selling contact information, family member details, net worth and religion, none of it deanonymized.
From a single broker, the researchers bought data on nearly 5,000 active-duty military employees, including their name, home and email addresses, political affiliation, gender, age, income, net worth, credit rating, whether they had children in their home, marital status, home value and religion, according to the report. The cost amounted to just $0.
