New Zealand shuts down gun buyback website amid fears of massive leak of law-abiding firearm owners' data
December 2, 2019, 10:16 am

New Zealand shuts down gun buyback website amid fears of massive leak of law-abiding firearm owners' data

FILE PHOTO A view of gunshop in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 19, 2019

New Zealand’s online notification platform for the firearm buy-back program has been shut down after a local gun owners association found a vulnerability that allegedly exposed the data of some 37,000 law-abiding citizens.

“We have advised the office of the Privacy Commissioner of the potential issue,” police said in a statement, sharing little additional detail and admitting they were informed of the problem by a “member of the public.”

https://twitter.com/mrblowup/status/1201281172266876928

This ‘potential issue’ may have affected at least 37,000 law-abiding citizens – exposing the date they filled in their firearm hand-in forms, including names and contact details, bank account numbers and information about the guns they own – according to a local firearm owners association.

“They were able to screenshot and download information. This means that gang members or other criminal elements could have accessed this information before our supporters found the breach,” a spokesperson for the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners told Newshub. New Zealand banned all military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles, as well as high-capacity magazines in spring after a self-avowed white supremacist from Australia, killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch and injured almost as many, in what became the deadliest terrorist act in the country’s modern history.

source: Reuters

China slaps sanctions on US over Hong Kong unrest Three French flood rescuers killed in helicopter crash

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”