23andMe sought to detail recent data breach

Major U.S. biotechnology and genetic testing firm 23andMe has been demanded by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong to provide details regarding a data breach that resulted in the exposure of data from millions of users, including those of Ashkenazi and Chinese heritage, last month, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Aside from questioning how 23andMe has been handling the incident and its potential violation of the state's Data Privacy Act, Tong noted that the genetic testing company failed to provide the state with timely notification of the breach. "23andMe is in the business of collecting and analyzing the most sensitive and irreplaceable information about individuals, their genetic code. This incident raises questions about the processes used by 23andMe to obtain consent from users, as well as the measures taken by 23andMe to protect the confidentiality of sensitive personal information," said Tong in a letter, which should be responded to by 23andMe by Nov. 13.