A cyber security expert has described a data leak affecting numerous A-list celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro, as the 'biggest he’s ever seen'. The breach reportedly exposed phone numbers and private email addresses online.
Scope of the breach
The leak originated from three exposed databases related to New York’s annual Tribeca Film Festival, which was founded by Robert De Niro. According to security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, the incident was due to human error. He told The Sun: 'There were many, many household names in the records who could have been targeted with malware. There were names, phone numbers and email addresses.'
Other celebrities whose information was reportedly compromised include Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Neil Patrick Harris, Rami Malek, Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas and British filmmaker Danny Boyle.
Expert reaction
Fowler noted the unusual nature of the breach, given the high-profile individuals involved. 'It’s really unique because these individuals are so guarded and they protect their personal privacy, their contacts, their phone numbers,' he said. After discovering the breach, Fowler contacted the festival, and the database was removed from public access. He later received an email from a legal executive stating they were 'actively investigating this issue.'
Festival response
'They responded pretty quickly, so it was obvious they knew what it was and that it shouldn’t have been there,' Fowler added. A source told The Sun that the 'vast majority' of contact details belonged to managers and agents rather than the celebrities themselves.
Metro has contacted representatives for Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Rami Malek, Danny Boyle, Neil Patrick Harris, and Michael Douglas for comment.
