MyHeritage breach leaks millions of DNA account details

I admit that DNA tests are one of the things I'm weirdly paranoid about. The ToS (s?) for all of the big DNA test companies are vague and worrying, and while there are laws in place to prevent workplace and health insurance discrimination, I'm sure there are loopholes.

Like I said, I'm paranoid. goes back to lining hats with tinfoil

I am for sure paranoid about it. I don't want my DNA cataloged anywhere if I can help it.

eh, I'm not that concerned about it but, since my mother did a bunch of genealogical research, I'm pretty sure where I came from ... although there are a few, um, oddities in there ....

My feeling is that there's not really anything all that useful that anyone can do with the kind of DNA files that are produced by these tests, other than find relatives. If someone ever wants to frame me for a crime, there are much easier ways of doing it. And I'm not all that concerned about an insurance company denying me coverage based on a DNA test -- there are already so many reasons in my file to deny me coverage if that's ever allowed again, and it's not like they can deny me twice or anything.

Also, the MyHeritage breach was just emails and hashed passwords, not DNA info. So, if you've got a MyHeritage account, it's probably safest to change your password, and be on the lookout for phishing emails, but that's about it.

My feeling is that there's not really anything all that useful that anyone can do with the kind of DNA files that are produced by these tests, other than find relatives. If someone ever wants to frame me for a crime, there are much easier ways of doing it. And I'm not all that concerned about an insurance company denying me coverage based on a DNA test -- there are already so many reasons in my file to deny me coverage if that's ever allowed again, and it's not like they can deny me twice or anything.

Yeah, Hil is me in this. And hey! I found an unknown-to-me first cousin once removed this way!

And hey! I found an unknown-to-me first cousin once removed this way!

I found several unknown second cousins (most of whom I probably could have found through traditional genealogy) and one third cousin (who I almost certainly would not have found, or at least would not have had any kind of confidence that he was actually related that way -- the DNA match showed pretty conclusively which branch of the family he was on, and then I figured out how to get the names and dates to match up. But without the DNA match, I would not have been at all confident about the names and dates -- those names were far too common for me to have been sure that I'd found the right person, if it weren't for the DNA match.) (And also, it was largely luck that the DNA match worked out that well -- if he'd been related on any other branch of the family, I probably would not have been able to conclude much, since not too many cousins on other branches of the family have tested.)

I was contacted by a second cousin who was adopted as an infant - she and my mother were able to figure out who her mother must have been. So that was neat.

I am way too cavalier about privacy in general. At least I'm consistent, I guess.

I was contacted by a second cousin who was adopted as an infant - she and my mother were able to figure out who her mother must have been. So that was neat.

I've got someone who shows up in my mom's and aunt's DNA matches as pretty clearly a second cousin on their father's father's side, and it shows his ethnicity results as Ashkenazi Jewish, but his name is really clearly Italian. And him being a second cousin on that side of the family means a relatively small number of people who could be his parents, and I've asked around to everyone who would know, and none of them have heard his name before. My best guess is that he was adopted, but he hasn't signed onto his account in a couple years.

My landlord called this morning. He asked when I'd be leaving (I told him sometime next week), and set up a time to come look at the apartment. (And Steph is coming over then, so, thank you again, Steph.) He also reminded me that today is trash day, and that "You've got to get rid of some of that stuff."