Data Leak Exposes Business Leaders and Top Celebrity Data

A data leak incident involving Clarity.fm left the personal data of business leaders and celebrities exposed to public access. Learn the details of the leak, the potential consequences, and how to protect yourself from the aftermath of a data leak.

A recent data leak involving the San Francisco-based firm Clarity.fm, a platform connecting entrepreneurs with industry experts, left sensitive and personal information about business leaders and celebrities exposed to public access without any security authentication.

Founded in 2012, Clarity.fm prides itself on facilitating on-demand consultations between entrepreneurs and established professionals, boasting over 3,000 experts and having Mark Cuban, Brad Feld, and Eric Ries as clients.

However, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered a non-password-protected database containing an estimated 155,531 records and 121,000 member accounts of entrepreneurs, top celebrities and business leaders. The records included a trove of information including the following:

• Full names
• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Consultation content
• Hourly consultation rates
• Payment records related to previous consulting sessions

and more…

The leaked data (Screenshot provided by Jeremiah Fowler – Website Planet

“The profiles showed personal and professional email addresses, hourly rates, past consulting sessions’ payments, and their internal rating or score (based on user feedback). The records were marked as production data, and indicated if the person was a member, leader, or mentor,” Fowler wrote in his blog post on WebsitePlanet.

Business leaders and celebrities entrusted Clarity.fm with sensitive details. These individuals may have sought guidance on critical matters related to their businesses or careers.

Therefore, this leak raises serious concerns about data security and the potential consequences for its high-profile clients as with the data exposed, they face an elevated risk of being targeted by cybercriminals.

This information could be a goldmine for malicious actors seeking to launch targeted scams, phishing attacks, and blackmail attempts. They may also target cloud storage infrastructure, exploit vulnerabilities, or use social engineering techniques for credential theft.

The use of artificial intelligence in phishing campaigns has made it easier to deceive recipients into providing personal or business information. Voice-cloning AI can also be used to gain trust and obtain unauthorized access to sensitive accounts.

Fowler promptly sent a responsible disclosure notice and secured the database, but it’s unclear how long it was exposed or if anyone else gained access. An internal forensic audit could identify the information.

It’s also unclear if the database was owned by Clarity.fm or a third-party contractor. Still, Fowler believes Clarity.fm, its partners and affiliates were not directly responsible for the leak.

Platforms handling sensitive user information must ensure proper cybersecurity measures, including regular data encryption, secure storage practices, and user authentication protocols. Businesses and individuals should be mindful of the data they share online, sharing only the minimum amount to mitigate risks.

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