A researcher discovered an unsecured, unencrypted database belonging to ClarityCheck, exposing approximately 9.1 million facial biometric images used for identity verification services. The data was stored without adequate security safeguards, posing a significant risk of identity fraud and data theft. Companies handling such sensitive biometric data must treat it as protected personally identifiable information and implement appropriate security controls.
Data Security Unsecured database exposes millions of facial biometrics August 20, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Credit: Stock Photo, Getty Images) According to Biometric Update, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unsecured database containing nearly 9.1 million facial images, raising significant concerns about identity fraud and data privacy. The database, belonging to U.S. company ClarityCheck, housed approximately 450.2 GB of data, including profile images, screenshots, and photographs of adults, teens, and children. ClarityCheck offers reverse image search and identity verification services, but the collected facial biometrics were stored unencrypted and without adequate security safeguards, making them vulnerable to theft. Fowler noted that while he implies no wrongdoing by ClarityCheck and does not claim active exploitation, the exposed data poses a hypothetical risk. He stressed that companies collecting facial biometric data should treat it as sensitive personally identifiable information and protect it accordingly. Source: Biometric Update SC Staff Related Data Security Sakura Internet reports potential compromise of over 1.3 million customer accounts SC Staff August 20, 2026 Sakura Internet, a key provider of digital infrastructure services in Japan and a domestic partner for the Government Cloud program, discovered the breach on August 9. Data Security McDonald’s employee records allegedly stolen from Azure SC Staff August 18, 2026 The seller, operating under the name TheHatman, advertised the data dump, titled "McDonalds 1.7M+ Azure Internal Employee Dump," on a forum. Data Security Internet users increasingly frustrated by AI slop and data leaks SC Staff August 18, 2026 A recent survey by Incogni reveals that over half of internet users believe their personal data will inevitably be exposed, leading to anxiety for 63% of respondents. Related Events Cybercast Beyond the Hype: The Cybersecurity Trends CISOs are Keeping an Eye on in 2026 On-Demand Event Cybercast Beyond the data perimeter: Why next-generation DSPM is the foundation for modern data security On-Demand Event Virtual Conference Securing the Future of Finance: Strategies to Counter Modern Cyber Threats On-Demand Event Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Bit Block Cipher Ciphertext Data Aggregation Decryption Diffie-Hellman Digital Envelope Digital Signature Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) Digital Signature Standard (DSS) You can skip this ad in 5 seconds