Stacie D. Nyborg, Attorney
On Tuesday, Impact Team, an anonymous group of hacker activists (hacktivists) leaked over 10GB of compressed data from AshleyMadison.com’s internal customer database. The Impact Team posted this data after Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison’s owners, refused to take down the site, which helps facilitate extramarital affairs. This massive data dump included highly personal information about the site’s approximately 37 million users. Included in this breach were thousands of valid and active email addresses associated with corporations and US military and government entities. Through no fault of their own, these employers have now been put at risk.
Armed with the leaked information, hackers now have new avenues to intrude corporate networks using an employee’s valid email address. It also increases the possibility of “phishing attacks” by internet criminals impersonating these employees. To prevent future liability, employers should make sure that their cyber security and data standards are up to date and also that proper employee policies and technology guidelines are in place.
If you would like more information about an employer’s potential exposure, please click here to view a prior BFAS Advisor discussing the issues in more detail. Should you have other questions or need additional assistance please contact me or one of the other attorneys at BFAS.
Stacie D. Nyborg, Attorney
(Direct) 805.966.7511
