Ashley Madison users details hacked: 37 Million Accounts Affected
A huge amount of information has been stolen from an online cheating site called Ashley Madison, owned by Toronto-based Avid Life Media (ALM), and portions of information have been posted online by a group or individual identified as Impact Team.
The hack was confirmed last week, as reported in Krebsonsecurity.com.
The information leak has put users' identities, as well as financial records and other personal information in jeopardy.
"We're not denying this happened," Ashley Madison's Chief Executive Officer Noel Biderman said. "Like us or not, this is still a criminal act."
The information continues to leak and it will definitely damage the 37 million account holders who frequent the adultery website, which has a slogan, "Life is Short. Have an Affair."
Reason behind the Ashley Madison Hack
The Impact Team of hackers appears to be upset over a website's service called "Full Delete" that promises to erase a customer's profile and all associated data for a $19 fee completely.
However, according to the Impact Team, Ashley Madison made money from the paid "Full Delete" service that does not work.
"Full Delete netted [Avid Life Media] $1.7mm in revenue in 2014. It’s also a complete lie," the group wrote in a statement released Sunday. "Users almost always pay with the credit card; their purchase details are not removed as promised and include real name and address, which is, of course, the most important information the users want to be removed."
The company denied the claims, however, is now temporarily offering its customers the ability to delete their account completely from the website free of charge.
Cheating partners have been made to fear that soon their information could be made public and that their spouse and friends and family could find out about their dispicable behaviour.
Following the hack on the hookup service, will people be more apprehensive from straying? Not likely, say experts.
According to Metro News Canada, Matthew Johnson of the University of Alberta, a specialist in relationships, said that extramarital affairs have been around for so long, way before the Internet became the spot to turn to.
Johnson said that cheating will not stop just because personal information started to leak online. However, whether Ashley Madison itself will suffer a massive drop in those subscribing to its site remains to be seen.
Hackers have threatened to release all information from the millions and millions of users if Ashley Madison and another ALM website, Established Men, are not shut down.
The hack was confirmed last week, as reported in Krebsonsecurity.com.
The information leak has put users' identities, as well as financial records and other personal information in jeopardy.
"We're not denying this happened," Ashley Madison's Chief Executive Officer Noel Biderman said. "Like us or not, this is still a criminal act."
The information continues to leak and it will definitely damage the 37 million account holders who frequent the adultery website, which has a slogan, "Life is Short. Have an Affair."
Reason behind the Ashley Madison Hack
The Impact Team of hackers appears to be upset over a website's service called "Full Delete" that promises to erase a customer's profile and all associated data for a $19 fee completely.
However, according to the Impact Team, Ashley Madison made money from the paid "Full Delete" service that does not work.
"Full Delete netted [Avid Life Media] $1.7mm in revenue in 2014. It’s also a complete lie," the group wrote in a statement released Sunday. "Users almost always pay with the credit card; their purchase details are not removed as promised and include real name and address, which is, of course, the most important information the users want to be removed."
The company denied the claims, however, is now temporarily offering its customers the ability to delete their account completely from the website free of charge.
Cheating partners have been made to fear that soon their information could be made public and that their spouse and friends and family could find out about their dispicable behaviour.
Following the hack on the hookup service, will people be more apprehensive from straying? Not likely, say experts.
According to Metro News Canada, Matthew Johnson of the University of Alberta, a specialist in relationships, said that extramarital affairs have been around for so long, way before the Internet became the spot to turn to.
Johnson said that cheating will not stop just because personal information started to leak online. However, whether Ashley Madison itself will suffer a massive drop in those subscribing to its site remains to be seen.
Hackers have threatened to release all information from the millions and millions of users if Ashley Madison and another ALM website, Established Men, are not shut down.
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