Adult Friend Finder: Data from 412 million accounts 'hacked' on sex website
Customer email addresses, dates of last visits and password information reportedly breached
The private information of more than 400 million adult website customers has been compromised in the largest data breach ever recorded, according to reports.
Friend Finder Network Inc reportedly had 412 million of its accounts hacked last month, the majority from Adult Friend Finder, a website that describes itself as "the world's largest sex and swinger community".
Email addresses, passwords, dates of last visits, browser information, IP addresses and site membership status across sites run by the network were revealed, claims Leaked Source, a data breach monitoring website.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Among the leaked account details were 78,301 US military email addresses, 5,650 US government email addresses and over 96 million Hotmail accounts," says The Guardian. The leaked database also included the details of what appear to be almost 16 million deleted accounts, according to Leaked Source.
It is unclear at this time who is responsible for the alleged hack but it bears a striking similarity to an attack against Adult Friend Finder in May 2015, in which login details, emails, dates of birth, post codes, sexual preferences and details of whether customers were seeking extramarital affairs were all leaked.
"It's clear that the organisation has failed to learn from its past mistakes and the result is 412 million victims that will be prime targets for blackmail, phishing attacks and other cyber fraud," said David Kennerley, director of threat research at Webroot.
In a statement to the Washington Post, Friend Finder Network said it was investigating the situation, but refused to confirm or deny the hack. "Immediately upon learning this information, we took several steps to review the situation and bring in the right external partners to support our investigation," it said.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Cicada-geddon: the fungus that controls insects like 'zombies'
Under The Radar Expert says bugs will develop 'hypersexualisation' despite their genitals falling off
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Voters know Biden and Trump all too well'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published