Your regularly scheduled reminder to update your passwords: In yet another 2023 data breach, 6.9 mn (50%) of 23andMe customers were victims of a data breach that saw hackers steal their personal data, the genetic testing company said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company initially reported that around 0.1% of its customers were compromised, but spokespeople later confirmed leaked personal information of about 5.5 mn users who opted in to the DNA relatives feature, and an additional 1.4 mn people had their family tree profile information accessed.

The public first caught wind in early October when the company confirmed that hackers had accessed some data due to the reusing of passwords, but refrained from identifying it as a breach.

The hackers weren’t happy: Proving that it was a breach, they posted the alleged data of 1 mn users of Jewish Ashkenzi descent and 10k Chinese users on the dark web, asking for USD 1-10 per account. Two weeks later, 4 mn profiles of “the wealthiest people living in the US and Western Europe” were added to the same hacking forum.

23andMe is now enforcing password resets and two-factor authentication, which was previously optional. (Axios | Verge | TechCrunch)

So, you might want to have a talk with IT about updating your security measures. The recent trend of cybersecurity breaches has severe implications. Targeted users of 23andMe, for example, are now at risk of identity theft.

Here at home, we’ve seen some hacks over the past few weeks: EGX-listed fintech giant Fawry’s testing environment was the victim of an attack last month by LockBit, a sophisticated hacker group, resulting in the compromise of some customers’ personal data. Just a week later, LockBit hacked another Egyptian blue chip, alleging that they “have stolen accounting data, audit data, commercial info, contracts private data … finance data, human resources data” and more.

GO DEEPER- We had a chat with Fawry CEO Ashraf Sabry, who explained to us the nitty gritty of what happened and the steps the company is taking to prevent this from happening again.

Great news for gamers — Grand Theft Auto VI is on the horizon. Over a decade after the debut of Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games was forced to release a trailer (watch here, runtime: 1:30) of Grand Theft Auto VI following leaks on social media. GTA5 was released five times since its launch in 2013, prompting jokes that a newer version would never come to fruition.

There’s still a way to go— the trailer announced that the newest installment is due to release in 2025. The game will be made available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles, so the PC gamers out there will have a longer wait.

GTA5 is the second best selling game in video game franchise history, having sold 190 mn copies, generating USD 7.7 bn in revenue in the decade since its release, coming in behind Minecraft, with over 300 mn copies sold. The game earned USD 815.7 mn in a single day, and within three days had grossed USD 1 bn. Surprisingly, the video game publisher’s shares fell by 4% after the release of GTA6’s trailer, despite positive reception, possibly due to lack of PC release news.

Gen Z has a spending problem on TikTok. As the prime audience for TikTok and a major driving force behind the app’s popularity, Gen Z users of the app are consistently being influenced into buying products, to the point of putting themselves at financial risk, according to a report by Morning Consult.

Aspirational content on TikTok is scamming Gen Z out of their money. Many influencers on the app post “haul” videos showcasing products that they allege they’ve purchased from specific brands, misrepresenting their spending ability by not reporting brand contracts or sponsorships. This influences how younger generations spend their money, even spurring a popular #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag, CNBC notes.

Women in their 20s spend more time on the app than men their age:75% of Gen Z women use TikTok, compared to 62% of men of the same generation, making women more susceptible to expenditure and financial risk. LendingTree noted a 99.3% rise in non-mortgage debt among US Gen Zers of both sexes within the span of two years, due to spiked personal loans and credit card debt.

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