In October 2013, the Chinese internet was rocked by a massive data leak. A file named shifenzheng.bak began circulating online, which was quickly identified as a SQL Server database backup. It contained what was widely reported as the personal information of approximately 20 million hotel guests across China. This event served as a watershed moment for public awareness of data privacy and security.

: Some .bak files can be imported into similar software or even text editors if they contain plain text data.

Developers working with SQL databases, local SQLite instances, or Android/iOS app development often create backup tables. If a database contains a column or table for user identification, exporting it can result in a shifenzheng.bak file.

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The file was completely unencrypted. Had Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or localized field-level hashing been utilized, the stolen file would have been useless gibberish to attackers.

This is the most common method for a one-time restoration.

Furthermore, if the file is found in a public repository (e.g., a public GitHub repository or a misconfigured OSS bucket), the data controller may face criminal liability under the Criminal Law for "infringing on citizens' personal information."

Never allow database backups to be written to or stored in directories accessible by a public web server. Store all files under restricted system paths or dedicated, private cloud infrastructure buckets. 2. Implement Strong File Encryption