It was reported that Instagram experienced an intrusion recently due to an insecurity in their software. That flaw has been addressed but not before a 3rd party allegedly harvested email addresses and telephone numbers of many Instagram account holders. These are reportedly now for sale on the Dark Web. NOTE: Account passwords apparently were not compromised. Many high profile Instagram account holders were targeted but so were many “average users”.
What do to if you have an Instagram account?
There is no method to know if you’ve been affected by this latest hack, but privacy experts recommend being extra vigilant in the coming weeks – with an email address and telephone number in their hands someone could launch a phishing attack where they attempt to get your log-in details (passwords, etc). If you get a telephone call or email that seems suspicious, best to report it to Instagram (click here for details).
Summary: You should be extra wary of any call or email that asks you to reset your email or Instagram password, or asks for log-in details for your telephone account. Revealing these details to a 3rd party could end up being a privacy/identity theft nightmare.
It was reported that Instagram experienced an intrusion recently due to an insecurity in their software. That flaw has been addressed but not before a 3rd party allegedly harvested email addresses and telephone numbers of many Instagram account holders. These are reportedly now for sale on the Dark Web. NOTE: Account passwords apparently were not compromised. Many high profile Instagram account holders were targeted but so were many “average users”.
What do to if you have an Instagram account?
There is no method to know if you’ve been affected by this latest hack, but privacy experts recommend being extra vigilant in the coming weeks – with an email address and telephone number in their hands someone could launch a phishing attack where they attempt to get your log-in details (passwords, etc). If you get a telephone call or email that seems suspicious, best to report it to Instagram (click here for details).
Summary: You should be extra wary of any call or email that asks you to reset your email or Instagram password, or asks for log-in details for your telephone account. Revealing these details to a 3rd party could end up being a privacy/identity theft nightmare.