Instagram Alerts High-Profile Users of Possible Hack

Instagram Alerts High-Profile Users of Possible Hack

The Facebook-owned social media company sent an email to high-profile users on Wednesday alerting them that a bug in its software may have allowed users’ account data to be accessed.

  • Sep 05, 2017

Instagram sent an email to high-profile users on Wednesday alerting them that a bug in its software may have allowed users’ account data to be accessed.

The Facebook-owned social media company said the bug has since been fixed and that no passwords were accessed, however, phone numbers and email addresses could have been vulnerable to hackers.

"We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users' contact information -- specifically email address and phone number— by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API," an Instagram spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Tech.

While phone numbers and email addresses are not hyper-sensitive information, hackers may use them to send the user phishing emails or texts to steal credentials and login to their accounts. Hackers could also potentially steal a person’s phone by hijacking their SIM card, gaining access to other private accounts.

In the email, Instagram strongly suggested using two-factor authentication and unique passwords to protect their accounts.

The company has not disclosed how many people were affected or who the high-profile accounts belonged to.

Earlier this week, Selena Gomez’s Instagram account was hacked, posting old nude photos of the singer’s ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber.

Featured

  • 91 Percent of Security Leaders Believe AI Set to Outpace Security Teams

    Bugcrowd recently released its “Inside the Mind of a CISO” report, which surveyed hundreds of security leaders around the globe to uncover their perception on AI threats, their top priorities and evolving roles, and common myths directed towards the CISO. Among the findings, 1 in 3 respondents (33%) believed that at least half of companies are willing to sacrifice their customers’ long-term privacy or security to save money. Read Now

  • Milestone Announces Merger With Arcules

    Global video technology company Milestone Systems is pleased to announce that effective July 1, 2024, it will merge with the cloud-based video surveillance solutions provider, Arcules. Read Now

  • Organizations Struggle with Outdated Security Approaches, While Online Threats Increase

    Cloudflare Inc, recently published its State of Application Security 2024 Report. Findings from this year's report reveal that security teams are struggling to keep pace with the risks posed by organizations’ dependency on modern applications—the technology that underpins all of today’s most used sites. The report underscores that the volume of threats stemming from issues in the software supply chain, increasing number of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and malicious bots, often exceed the resources of dedicated application security teams. Read Now

  • Cloud Resources Have Become Biggest Targets for Cyberattacks According to New Research

    Thales recently announced the release of the 2024 Thales Cloud Security Study, its annual assessment on the latest cloud security threats, trends and emerging risks based on a survey of nearly 3000 IT and security professionals across 18 countries in 37 industries. As the use of the cloud continues to be strategically vital to many organizations, cloud resources have become the biggest targets for cyber-attacks, with SaaS applications (31%), Cloud Storage (30%) and Cloud Management Infrastructure (26%) cited as the leading categories of attack. As a result, protecting cloud environments has risen as the top security priority ahead of all other security disciplines. Read Now

Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

Whitepapers

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file. 3

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings. 3