START

The START (System for Tracking Assisted Reproductive Technology) leak was a significant data breach that occurred in 2021. The leak exposed a database containing highly sensitive information from fertility clinics across the United States and Canada. The leaked data included personally identifiable information such as names, addresses, birth dates, medical records, and fertility treatments received.

The leak was discovered in June 2021 by security researcher Bob Diachenko. He found the database publicly accessible on the internet without any password protection. The database contained an estimated 7,455,386 records from over 1,000 fertility clinics. The leaked data posed a significant privacy and security risk to the individuals whose information was exposed.