Data Breach

Ashley Madison Data Breach

32.0M records exposed • July 2015

Hackers broke into a website for people having affairs and released everyone's information. This ruined marriages and careers, showing how devastating breaches of sensitive data can be.

What Happened

The Impact Team hacked Ashley Madison, an extramarital affair website, and released data of 32 million users. The breach led to divorces, resignations, and reported suicides.

Attack method: Internal compromise

What Data Was Exposed

Names, Email addresses, Addresses, Phone numbers, Credit card transactions, Sexual preferences

Is your business exposed?

What to Do If You're Affected

  1. 1.

    Be aware of extortion attempts

  2. 2.

    Monitor credit for fraudulent charges

  3. 3.

    Consult legal counsel if being extorted

Lessons for Businesses

  • Sensitive data requires maximum security
  • Data breaches can have severe personal consequences
  • Delete functions should actually delete data

Sources

Related Breaches

Adult Friend Finder 2016

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