Ashley Madison Hackers Release Data

vegasgroom · August 2015

AddieCake said:

Yeah, it's not ok that people's private info is being posted. Not everyone on there is a "cheater," after all, and like PPs said, if it could happen on there, it could happen to any of us on any website.

This is a very good point!

Completely unrelated to Ashley Madison, I'll go on a long winded rant about web security lol.

I have a lot of involvement in e-commerce related to servers, databases, network security and credit card processing software. It would be truly scary if I told you how often I encounter website operators who are using software to power their online store that keeps customers' (their customers) data sitting on the public web server with no encryption. This often includes site username (if applicable) and password, credit card, billing/shipping, order history, etc. The storage of the credit card part unencrypted isn't permitted of course, but most website owners either don't have the technical knowledge to do anything about it or simply don't care. All it would take is one security breach for all those customers cards and info to be in the hands of criminals, and there are a LOT of security flaws in out of date versions of shopping cart software. I also see the same people sending emails to each other with payment info, customer info, etc. Seeing it from this side makes me not want to shop online, but I still do of course.

The part of the whole situation that's actually even riskier, is to people who use the same username and password everywhere. Username of course is often your email address, so if a criminal gets your info from a website they've hacked, they can start trying to plug that username and password in on every other website they can think of to see if it works; banks, credit card companies, utility company, etc. If you use the same pass everywhere, this is putting you at great risk.

Most people aren't as paranoid as me, but, if you do want to be paranoid about your info, what I do is:

1) I bought a domain name that I use just for email purposes.

2) I have it set up so that an email to <anything>@mydomain comes to me; this is called a catch all email address. My Gmail account retrieves these emails so they all still end up in the same 'inbox' in one place.

3) Any website that asks for my email, I use an address that I create just for that website. For example, Bank of America, I use bankofamerica@mydomain. I also use a unique password for just that website.

What this accomplishes is any website that gets hacked, the hacker has a random email address and password that were only ever used on that one site and are useless anywhere else. A side benefit is it allows me to determine if a site either got hacked or the site owner sold my information. For example, if all the sudden I start getting junk email from Comcast cable about special deals sent to my bankofamerica@ email address, I know Bank of America sold my email address to them since they were the only one to ever have that specific address.

For websites I want to purchase from that I truly do not trust to be security whatsoever, I have a Bank of America credit card that I use only for those. Bank of America lets me generate a new credit card number in their web portal, so I can define as many card numbers as I want, how much limit they have, etc. then it spits out the info. If I want to buy something for $99, I'll generate a new card number for $100, pay, and then that card number becomes useless if anyone were to get it. Normally I use a rewards card for everything else.

Of course, using a unique username/email/pass for every website is a pain, how do you remember it all. I have an encrypted USB flash drive called an Aegis Secure Key. It works just like a regular USB thumb drive but you have to enter a PIN between 8 and 15 digits on it before putting it in the computer. If the wrong PIN is entered ten times, it erases itself. The contents on it are encrypted, so if someone disassembles it to try to get the info, it's useless. It lets me be safe and if it gets lost, not a huge deal. I keep a text file on it with all my user/passes. Here's the thing on Amazon, it's not super cheap but not too bad at $60 http://amzn.to/1K8soIy

lyndausvi · August 2015

Josh admitted he cheated. Not surprised. He lives in a world where confession fixes everything.

I feel bad for his siblings. The kids are already sheltered from the big bad world. Instead of thinking their parenting might be too restrictive, I bet they become even more strict.

ShesSoCold · August 2015

lyndausvi said:

Josh admitted he cheated. Not surprised. He lives in a world where confession fixes everything.

I feel bad for his siblings. The kids are already sheltered from the big bad world. Instead of thinking their parenting might be too restrictive, I bet they become even more strict.

I'm sure people will be pissed at me and I won't word this well, but I feel bad for all of them - including Josh. I do not excuse what he did, to his sisters and now to his wife, and I am not dismissing his actions, but I feel like it's mostly his parents' fault. It's like the super sheltering parents who tell their kids that one drink will kill them and their whole family. Those kids are doing the most drinking and drugs when they discover it. Only 1,000 times worse. I mean, yes he could have and should have gotten himself some help in other ways and I want to say again that I am not "okaying" what he's done. And the fact that the whole family has to deal with all this publicly sucks too.

lyndausvi · August 2015

ShesSoCold said:

lyndausvi said:

Josh admitted he cheated. Not surprised. He lives in a world where confession fixes everything.

I feel bad for his siblings. The kids are already sheltered from the big bad world. Instead of thinking their parenting might be too restrictive, I bet they become even more strict.

I'm sure people will be pissed at me and I won't word this well, but I feel bad for all of them - including Josh. I do not excuse what he did, to his sisters and now to his wife, and I am not dismissing his actions, but I feel like it's mostly his parents' fault. It's like the super sheltering parents who tell their kids that one drink will kill them and their whole family. Those kids are doing the most drinking and drugs when they discover it. Only 1,000 times worse. I mean, yes he could have and should have gotten himself some help in other ways and I want to say again that I am not "okaying" what he's done. And the fact that the whole family has to deal with all this publicly sucks too.

I understand what you are saying. They are taught sexual feelings are bad. They are told to suppress them. I'm more surprised more of them haven't exploded so to speak.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jim-Bob was on the list either.

ShesSoCold · August 2015

lyndausvi said:

ShesSoCold said:

lyndausvi said:

Josh admitted he cheated. Not surprised. He lives in a world where confession fixes everything.

I feel bad for his siblings. The kids are already sheltered from the big bad world. Instead of thinking their parenting might be too restrictive, I bet they become even more strict.

I'm sure people will be pissed at me and I won't word this well, but I feel bad for all of them - including Josh. I do not excuse what he did, to his sisters and now to his wife, and I am not dismissing his actions, but I feel like it's mostly his parents' fault. It's like the super sheltering parents who tell their kids that one drink will kill them and their whole family. Those kids are doing the most drinking and drugs when they discover it. Only 1,000 times worse. I mean, yes he could have and should have gotten himself some help in other ways and I want to say again that I am not "okaying" what he's done. And the fact that the whole family has to deal with all this publicly sucks too.

I understand what you are saying. They are taught sexual feelings are bad. They are told to suppress them. I'm more surprised more of them haven't exploded so to speak.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jim-Bob was on the list either.

I hope they do. In good, go to college, have actual boyfriends, go to a bar and love gay people sort of way.

doeydo · August 2015

Also, this leak may have outed people who were in the closet and possibly living in countries where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death. Apparently, it lists names, physical addresses, and sexual preferences (Source: http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/19/technology/ashley-madison-search/index.html?iid=Lead). Etf grammar

arrippa · August 2015

A lot of my Facebook friends have been giddy with glee over the data release. It makes me sad that people are so happy over marriages breaking up. I feel bad for all the wives and kids who are caught up in this.

photokitty · August 2015

arrippa said:
A lot of my Facebook friends have been giddy with glee over the data release. It makes me sad that people are so happy over marriages breaking up. I feel bad for all the wives and kids who are caught up in this.

I understand what you are saying, but if someone decides to leave a marriage over learning their spouse had used AM to cheat, if they want to go find a life filled with trust and happiness, then I too am happy for them as the demise of the marriage.

Having been through a divorce, a broken marriage sucks, but not nearly as bad as being in a deceitful or abusive one.

justsie · August 2015

I've seen a lot of posters on reddit discuss different ways to have excuses if/when their partner finds out. I have no sympathy for them, I do for their families thought. I feel bad for those that were hiding their sexuality (swingers, MOGII folks) that were affected and outed. I've only heard one reports so far of someone having to buy a plane ticket, hopefully there are not more!

arrippa · August 2015

photokitty said:

A lot of my Facebook friends have been giddy with glee over the data release. It makes me sad that people are so happy over marriages breaking up. I feel bad for all the wives and kids who are caught up in this.
I understand what you are saying, but if someone decides to leave a marriage over learning their spouse had used AM to cheat, if they want to go find a life filled with trust and happiness, then I too am happy for them as the demise of the marriage. Having been through a divorce, a broken marriage sucks, but not nearly as bad as being in a deceitful or abusive one.

I understand your point and I may be in the minority, but I can't be happy for any marriage to break up, unless they are abused or Anna Duggar. I am not saying that the spouse should stay with the cheater, I am just sad for the whole situation.

photokitty · August 2015

arrippa said:

photokitty said:

arrippa said:
A lot of my Facebook friends have been giddy with glee over the data release. It makes me sad that people are so happy over marriages breaking up. I feel bad for all the wives and kids who are caught up in this.
I understand what you are saying, but if someone decides to leave a marriage over learning their spouse had used AM to cheat, if they want to go find a life filled with trust and happiness, then I too am happy for them as the demise of the marriage.

Having been through a divorce, a broken marriage sucks, but not nearly as bad as being in a deceitful or abusive one.

I understand your point and I may be in the minority, but I can't be happy for any marriage to break up, unless they are abused or Anna Duggar. I am not saying that the spouse should stay with the cheater, I am just sad for the whole situation.

***ETA boxes***
Not all the marriages will break up, some will be able the finally have a conversation, and the spouse who was being decieved will be able to decide if they want to try to repair the broken trust or move on. If people just had honest conversations before cheating thathan this would all be irrelevant.

As far as the "non-cheaters" on the site go...I have thought about it and I don't feel bad for them. The website's tag is: life's too short, have an affair. Even if they are not cheaters, they are actively looking to engage with cheaters. If you know the person you are with its cheating and lying about it, then you are caupable too. True open marriages and swingers have other options that allow them to maintain the trust the couple values while bring open to other encounters.

AddieCake · August 2015

You don't feel bad that people's private info is leaked? Credit card info? Address? Sexual interests?

Again, take the CHEATING BASTARDS EXPOSED!!!! stuff out of it and consider that people's private, personal, financial, etc info has been made accessible. That's not ok, no matter what you think of the site or the people who use it.

photokitty · August 2015

I didn't say it should happen, or even that I am glad. I don't even think they deserved to be leaked, just that I don't feel bad for them. I only have so much time in a day to feel bad for people, there are many people more deserving of my empathy than those who did business with a clearly unethical company. I don't know why anyone expected more from such an unethical company.

If my spouse was on the site, I'd rather it be leaked so I could make an informed decision. But that still doesn't mean I condone the leak.

lyndausvi · August 2015

AddieCake said:

You don't feel bad that people's private info is leaked? Credit card info? Address? Sexual interests?

Again, take the CHEATING BASTARDS EXPOSED!!!! stuff out of it and consider that people's private, personal, financial, etc info has been made accessible. That's not ok, no matter what you think of the site or the people who use it.

I do feel bad for them.

Ashley Madison is not illegal. It's not illegal for adults to look adult porn. It's not illegal for people to have affairs. Sure it's sad 37 million+ people feel the need to go on such a site. Actually it's pretty interesting that so many people use the site. A study should be done if monogamy for EVERYONE is really realistic.

There was an expectation of privacy, just like I would not want hackers to post that I buy adult underwear from Amazon (I don't, but hey I still would not want that out for the general public to know either).

vegasgroom · August 2015

It's about to get really messy; the hackers are now threatening to release private chat transcripts and nude photos. A state attorney in Florida had to have a press conference this weekend to admit he had an account.

lyndausvi · August 2015

vegasgroom said:

It's about to get really messy; the hackers are now threatening to release private chat transcripts and nude photos. A state attorney in Florida had to have a press conference this weekend to admit he had an account.

Yikes.

BTW - I'm so happy to "see" you out of your Vegas bubble !! Don't be a stranger.

banana468 · August 2015

vegasgroom said:

It's about to get really messy; the hackers are now threatening to release private chat transcripts and nude photos. A state attorney in Florida had to have a press conference this weekend to admit he had an account.

I really hate that Ashley Madison exists BUT I'm not a fan of the collateral damage that's coming out as a result of this. And I am not in support of any vigilante hacker that thinks it's OK to start releasing all this information simply as collateral damage.

MyNameIsNot · August 2015

So it looks like we're learning that 90-95% of the users were male, and the site was using "bots" and fake profiles of women. If I remember correctly, there was some suspicion early on that this was something of an inside job.

I'm starting to wonder if this bot thing and fake profiles was part of the motive behind all this.

kimmiinthemitten · August 2015

MyNameIsNot said:

So it looks like we're learning that 90-95% of the users were male, and the site was using "bots" and fake profiles of women. If I remember correctly, there was some suspicion early on that this was something of an inside job.

I'm starting to wonder if this bot thing and fake profiles was part of the motive behind all this.

From what I read, that was the real reason behind the hack, NOT the intent of the website. The hackers gave AM 30 days to shut down for good, or they would release the customers information in order to prove that AM was tricking men into believing women were on the site when in reality they weren't.

justsie · August 2015

I thought it was because the hackers were mad that the 20$ full delete that they offered didn't actually delete anything, and releasing the information would prove that?

banana468 · August 2015

justsie said:

I thought it was because the hackers were mad that the 20$ full delete that they offered didn't actually delete anything, and releasing the information would prove that?

I thought it was both? That basically the hackers were not fans of HOW Ashley Madison ran the business and it had nothing to do with their mission statement. It had to do with false advertising on both fronts:

1) Your delete fee deletes jack squat.

2) There are NOT tons of single ladies in your area. There are just a lot of men looking for women who aren't their wives and still can't find them.

And I think Vegas may have written about this but didn't they also release the source code? So there's now a LOT of proprietary information out there that isn't so proprietary.

And while I'm not a fan of people who can't be honest with their SO / spouse, I'm really not a fan of those who leak my (really, anyone's) personal information in the name of collateral damage.

If the leak is what destroys a marriage, there were clearly issues there to begin with. The Ashley Madison hack isn't destroying Josh Duggar. Josh Duggar is destroying Josh Duggar.

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