Thousands of wealthy Moscow residents affected by data leak

The Moscow-based internet provider Akado Telecom is a large telecommunications network owned by billionaire businessman Viktor Vekselberg. Akado Telecom said it had launched an internal investigation, but did not say whether it knew the private data of its clients had been published or whether the company had provided the information.

According to security specialists, the data was uploaded to the database of RIPE NCC, a not-for-profit regional internet registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. Companies that are members of the registry, which include Akado Telecom, are responsible for loading data onto the database.

The database also listed information about banks and government agencies that use Akado Telecom, as well as their staff’s contact details. Akado Telecom must have uploaded the customer details, which the specialist confirmed for Reuters that they could be accessed freely.

In Russia, it has been illegal to make personal data publicly available since 2006 and companies breaking the law face fines of up to 50,000 rubles (USD 756).