US Startup Sells Stolen Data Online For a Small Fee

Anyone with $50 can get easy access to a huge database of stolen data and personal information. Michael Crider reports in PC World that it is being openly sold by a US-based startup, Farnsworth Intelligence.

The company is selling access to stolen data through its platform, Infostealers.info. Anyone can purchase access to the databases, which contain addresses, browser auto-fill details, and even user names and passwords.

 Farnsworth Intelligence was founded by 23-year-old Aidan Raney as an “open-source intelligence” startup. Unlike more covert data brokers, the company brazenly markets its Infostealer products, offering consumer and professional tiers of access.

404 Media exposed Farnsworth’s strategy, which amounts to monetizing stolen data under a veneer of open-source intelligence.

The data appears to come from data breaches and hacking campaigns, content that in most jurisdictions is considered criminally obtained. The company claims legitimate users of its databases include private investigators, law enforcement, and journalists. No legal oversight or requirement for a warrant is cited.

Farnsworth touts its human intelligence tactics and suggests its data can support due diligence, background checks, and asset searches.

While defenders of breach analysis point to its use in cybersecurity, the platform provides little transparency about how the data is sourced or how access is controlled.

Lawyers advising clients on data security, privacy compliance, or litigation should be alert to the emerging risks from such open-source intel startups and be prepared to cope with unauthorized data exposure and improper surveillance.

Illegally obtained evidence remains inadmissible in court, but its influence outside formal proceedings can be significant.