July 20, 2015

"A hacking group swiped mounds of data from Ashley Madison, the hookup service for adulterers, and is threating to leak users’ personal data..."

"The intruders, who call themselves 'The Impact Team,' claim to have completely compromised all of Ashley Madison’s records, stealing the information of 37 million affair-seeking subscribers."
The team immediately posted some of the pilfered records, which included users’ real names, contact information and financial data. The group —  furious that Ashley Madison’s promised full-delete function allegedly does not scrub data — threatened to release more sensitive records if its demands were not met....

“Full Delete netted ALM $1.7mm in revenue in 2014. It’s also a complete lie,” the hacking group wrote. “Users almost always pay with 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 removed.”

41 comments:

Birkel said...

Can both sides lose?

Michael K said...

Another good reason for virtue.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

...and is threating to leak users’ personal data...

Crap.

Alexander said...

Ashley Madison: bringing the public's attention to cyber security and the right to privacy when the NSA couldn't.

On the other hand, a website designed to help you have an affair lied to its customers. Who'da thunk it?

mikee said...

37,000,000 subscribers? Wow.

I wonder what the proportion of males to females is. And if that is publicly acknowledged by the company.

JAORE said...

The libertarian streak in me wants to feel outraged at this invasion of privacy, but it is overruled by my inner eighth grader who is giggling.

Paco Wové said...

"The group — furious that Ashley Madison’s promised full-delete function allegedly does not scrub data — threatened to release more sensitive records"

Somehow I doubt the sincerity of their fury.

Anonymous said...

I'm disappointed that the article doesn't say where the stolen data is posted. Bill Clinton's financials would make for interesting reading.

Matt Sablan said...

So... I wonder which members of the hacker group are upset their data wasn't deleted.

Matt Sablan said...

Paco: I don't doubt their sincerity. My theory is one of them has either been caught or is on the verge of being caught cheating, and is now engaged in Desperate Plan B.

Laslo Spatula said...

A lot of wives of rich men will be seeing expensive jewelry in their immediate future.

I am Laslo.

Gahrie said...

I'm with Birkel.

Known Unknown said...

I've contemplated signing up to see if I could find anyone else I knew on there.

Not for potential blackmail purposes, but just because it would be interesting.

However, my wife would never understand that line of thinking.

Mike said...

Actually, the people who should be scared her are Ashley Madison. If this info is leaked, people will find out 1) If their 37 million subscribers actually exist; 2) if there are any actual women on Ashley Madison.

mccullough said...

90% of the subscribers are single men. This will be an epic blackmail failure

2yellowdogs said...

What are the odds that Carlos Danger's deets are there?

Virgil Hilts said...

Hard to believe that Ashley Madison would break the solemn vow implied in their full-delete function; but, if I were Ashley Madison and the hackers' were falsely claiming that I had broken this vow and cheated on my customers, I might have mentioned that the claim was false in my press release.

rhhardin said...

I thought Ashley Madison was ice cream.

rhhardin said...

The French subsitiary doesn't even bother concealing its membership. It runs as a bulletin board.

rhhardin said...

Maybe there's a female version where wives who don't want to put out can hook up with men who aren't interested either.

Meade said...

The over-sharing economy.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

rhhardin said...

I thought Ashley Madison was ice cream.

That's not gonna work with us, and it sure as hell won't work with your wife.

MaxedOutMama said...

Ashley Madison cheated the cheaters???

glenn said...

I think the divorce lawyers are behind the hack and leak. Just drumming up business.

holdfast said...

Combine the data from this with the data from the OPM hack and any foreign intelligence outfit can pwn the CIA/FBI/NSA/DIA etc.

gerry said...

A hacking group swiped mounds of data...

Ah, such sweet mounds...

Larry J said...

Blogger Laslo Spatula said...

A lot of wives of rich men will be seeing expensive jewelry in their immediate future.


There may also be a lot of wives of rich men who wonder how well their pre-nups will hold up in court, especially if their names were on the list. Cheating is an equal opportunity sport.

Etienne said...

I am distressed that no one knows how to create a database properly anymore.

I'm thinking of un-retiring and holding these peoples hands as they rake in the bucks.

Incidents like these, are fatal to a company. They have to know they need help.

Brando said...

When they came for the adulterers I didn't complain because I was not an adulterer...

It seems now everything is getting hacked, and unless you are totally off-grid you aren't safe. I wonder how this will all end up.

Bill said...

I wonder if the name Ashley Madison was market-tested and focus-grouped.

Come to think of it, it's a lot like Hillary Clinton.

clint said...

I just read this -- The Stranger, by Harlen Coben.

Spoiler Alert: Doesn't end well for the hackers.

Anonymous said...

You play, you pay.

Anonymous said...

My medical records have already been stolen twice, once in an office hardware theft and once in a general sweep hack (similar to what the government does), so whatever.

I've noticed that cheaters can build up quit a head of outrage. I've always wondered how they manage the complete lack of self awareness or if it is just a kneejerk defense mechanism.

tim in vermont said...

So their customers are going to finally get fucked? - Hat tip to a Reddit commenter.

Freeman Hunt said...

Cheater to AshleyMadison.com: "But I trusted you!"

Birches said...

The libertarian streak in me wants to feel outraged at this invasion of privacy, but it is overruled by my inner eighth grader who is giggling.

Yep. I now understand how "the Fappening" felt for most men.

Sam L. said...

Cash cow rustled!

damikesc said...

I noticed their new ad campaign of bringing life back to a marriage.

I'm honestly intrigued how they came up with THAT gem...

Bad Lieutenant said...

Ask Laslo!

Gulistan said...

I was just doing research!

Paul said...

Hahahahaha... Ahahahahaha...

I hope they out them all. Every man, woman, transvestite... one of them.