Kristen Zanoni  |  July 29, 2020

Category: Data Breach

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Wattpad app regarding the massive data breach

Wattpad is releasing more information about the data breach that potentially impacted 271 million users. Initially the Toronto-based digital storytelling company said no financial information, private messages, phone numbers, or stories were hacked.

However, in a recent update from Wattpad, it was revealed that hackers could have stolen a variety of users’ personal information, including birthdates and email addresses. In a statement, Wattpad assured users that their passwords were salted and cryptographically hashed, but out of precaution they were resetting passwords.

Wattpad launched in 2006 and reportedly has 80 million users on a monthly basis. The website features stories in over 50 different languages from readers and writers all over the world including in the U.S. and in Canada.

According to Betakit, a cybersecurity company named Cyble claims about 271 million users’ personal information was accessed. However, Wattpad’s statement on the data breach does not confirm the number of affected users. 

Cyble also claims that the data breach occurred in June 2020, and they first discovered claims of the breach on an online hacker platform at the beginning of July. According to the cybersecurity company, the personal information was being sold for 10 bitcoins, which is comparable to $100,000. Cyble added that the personal data of 271 million users was later available for free.

An anonymous source reportedly told BleepingComputer, a technology news site, that users’ information stolen from Wattpad was being sold by a hacking group called ShinyHunters. “BleepingComputer contacted Shiny Hunters about this breach, and at first, they were concerned about how we knew about the sale, and then later denied having anything to do with it,” the website reports.

According to Cyble, the stolen personal information included Wattpad logins, users’ full names, contact information, and dates of birth. Encrypted passwords of 189 million of the users were also reportedly accessed in the data breach. Cyble’s website states that they are still monitoring the situation and that they will report on it as more information is found.

hacker regarding the Wattpad data breach and hackers selling info stolen According to Wattpad’s statement on the data breach, the following information has been compromised by hackers

  • Email addresses
  • Dates of birth 
  • Users’ Gender 
  • IP addresses of users upon signing up, if they signed up before 2017
  • Profile usernames 
  • Account names
  • Encrypted passwords
  • Survey responses from 2015 and earlier
  • Lists of stories bought by users
  • Third-party account identifications, including Google and Facebook

Wattpad’s statement continues by explaining that they only store encrypted passwords, so original passwords are protected. Moreover, Wattpad reports that private messages, users’ stories, and phone numbers were not affected as a part of the data breach. Perhaps most importantly, financial data was not breached, because Wattpad claims it does not store customers’ financial information on the impacted systems.

The announcement includes a precautionary statement from Wattpad, stating that users should change their Wattpad login passwords and also change passwords from third-party websites that use the same password. If a user has changed their Wattpad login password after July 21, 2020, no action is necessary. 

Wattpad urges users to change their passwords often, just as a protective measure. Users can protect themselves by not using the same password for multiple websites, and by using a password manager.

In the aftermath of what Cyble calls one of the biggest data breaches in the books, the cybersecurity company has some useful tips of its own to help protect your personal information from cyber hackers. 

Cyble recommends: 

  • Not sharing any personal or financial details over the phone, email, or text messages. 
  • Using durable passwords and implementing multi-factor authentication on websites that use it. 
  • Monitoring your finances regularly and consistently to detect suspicious activities as soon as they happen. 
  • Launching automatic software updates on your computer and mobile devices whenever possible. 
  • Using a reputable anti-virus software on all devices including computers, laptops, and mobile devices. 

According to Wattpad, protecting its users’ information is their top concern. 

“The safety and security of the Wattpad community and your data is our highest priority. We are continuing to investigate this issue, and are assessing additional measures to enhance our security protocols and procedures,” Wattpad said in a statement regarding the data breach. 

Are you a Wattpad user? How do you feel about the Wattpad data breach? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! 

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2 thoughts onWattpad Data Breach Potentially Compromises the Information of 271 Million Users

  1. Harry says:

    I totally agree with Melissa that we should take some law action against them as our PII (Personal Identifiable Information) has been exposed which is critical under PIPEDA.

  2. Melissa says:

    I think having this kind of private information exposed should be enough for a class action lawsuit. Quite frankly I’ve never gotten so much spam in my life. I have had to change all my passwords how time consuming and the fact that they think we will be ok with this is unacceptable. If they are not keeping our data secure then they are negligent. Of course hackers aren’t going to say they sold personal information. But why are we not compensated for their lack of security?

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