VirusTotal leak exposes data of 5,600 users including international intelligence agencies

Google-owned online service, VirusTotal, has experienced a data leak that has exposed the names and email addresses of 5,600 registered users. The service, known for its ability to analyze suspicious files and detect all forms of malware, has inadvertently revealed information about employees from various international intelligence agencies in the United States and Germany, among others.

The leaked data includes accounts associated with official U.S. entities such as the Cyber Command, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA). Furthermore, accounts from government agencies in Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the U.K. have also been exposed.

This incident underscores the warning previously issued by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The BSI had cautioned organizations against the automatic uploading of files to VirusTotal, highlighting the risk of sensitive organizational data falling into third-party hands.