Facebook Stored Passwords in Plain Text For Years

Hundreds of millions of Facebook user passwords have been stored in plain text for years, the social media giant acknowledged on Thursday. KrebsOnSecurity, which first reported the news, said that specifically between 200 and 600 million passwords were stored in plain text as early as 2012, and...

When Facebook Goes Down, Don't Blame Hackers

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp spent several hours offline in many parts of the world today. Just don't call it a DDoS attack...

Facebook and Instagram are down around the world

By Carolina Facebook says it's aware of the situation and trying to fix the issue. Another day, another service outage at social media giant Facebook and its subsidiary company Instagram. Yes, Facebook and Instagram have been hit by a worldwide service outage forcing both platforms to go offline...

A week in security (February 25 – March 3)

Last week, we delved into the realm of K-12 schools and security, explored the world of compromised websites and Golang bruteforcers, and examined the possible realms of pay for privacy. We also looked at identity management solutions, Google’s Universal Read Gadget, and did the deepest of dives...

This Week in Security News: Instagram Hackers and Enterprise Threats

Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about the cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days. This week, learn how a group of hackers is stealing popular Instagram profiles. Also, learn about old and new cybersecurity issues inundated enterprise...

The vulnerability of the Web-Dorado plugin for Instagram Feed in the WordPress content management system allows a hacker to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code.

The vulnerability of the Web-Dorado plugin for Instagram Feed in the WordPress content management system is related to the lack of security measures taken to protect the website’s structure. Exploiting this vulnerability allows a malicious actor to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code, there...

Exposed: Instagram, OKCupid, Mumsnet All Face Data Concerns

It has once again been busy on the data privacy/exposure front as the week kicks off, with Instagram, dating site OKCupid and the UK’s powerhouse discussion site, Mumsnet, all making recent news. A report on GDPR breach notifications rounds out the latest. First up, Instagram users are apparently...

Merging Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram: a technical, reputational hurdle

Secure messaging is supposed to be just that—secure. That means no backdoors, strong encryption, private messages staying private, and, for some users, the ability to securely communicate without giving up tons of personal data. So, when news broke that scandal-ridden, online privacy pariah...

A week in security (January 28 – February 3)

Last week, we ran another in our interview with a malware hunter series, explained a FaceTime vulnerability, and took a deep dive into a new stealer. We also threw some light on a Houzz data breach, and what exactly happened between Apple and Facebook. Other cybersecurity news Kwik Fit hit by...

Facebook Boots Hundreds of Iran-Linked Accounts For Spreading Misinformation

Facebook has booted hundreds of Iran-linked pages, groups and accounts from its social media platform that it claimed were promoting misinformation. According to Facebook, it removed 783 pages, groups and accounts that engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” that were misleading users about...

What does ‘consent to tracking’ really mean?

Thanks to Jerome Boursier for contributions. Post GDPR, many social media platforms will ask end users to consent to some form of tracking as a condition of using the service. It's easy to make assumptions as to what that means, especially when the actual terms of service or data policy for the...

Serial Swatter and Stalker Mir Islam Arrested for Allegedly Dumping Body in River

A 22-year-old man convicted of cyberstalking and carrying out numerous bomb threats and swatting attacks -- including a 2013 swatting incident at my home -- was arrested Sunday morning in the Philippines after allegedly helping his best friend dump the body of a housemate into a local river...

How Instagram Became the Russian IRA's Go-To Social Network

A Senate report finds that Russia's Internet Research Agency was far more active, and more successful, on Instagram in 2017 than on Facebook or Twitter...

Facebook or YouTube Down? What We All Do When Sites Crash

What happens when Instagram glitches or Slack stalls? Spoiler: We don’t log off—we just scurry off to different sometimes darker corners of the web...

Bug Bounty: Earn $40,000 for hacking Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp

By Waqas Facebook has launched a new bug bounty program inviting hackers to identify and report vulnerabilities in its website and applications. The social network has increased payouts and offers researchers to look for vulnerabilities in a wide variety of products owned by Facebook including...

Get paid up to $40,000 for finding ways to hack Facebook or Instagram accounts

Here we have great news for all bug bounty hunters. Now you can get paid up to $40,000 for finding and responsibly reporting critical vulnerabilities in the websites and mobile applications owned by Facebook that could allow cyber attackers to take over user accounts. In the latest post published...

Get paid up to $40,000 for finding ways to hack Facebook or Instagram accounts

Here we have great news for all bug bounty hunters. Now you can get paid up to $40,000 for finding and responsibly reporting critical vulnerabilities in the websites and mobile applications owned by Facebook that could allow cyber attackers to take over user accounts. In the latest post published...

Is your Facebook and Instagram down? Well, you are not alone (Updated)

By Waqas Another day, another service outage at social media giant Facebook and its subsidiary company Instagram. Yes, Facebook and Instagram have been hit by a worldwide service outage forcing both platforms to go offline. According to the outage map displayed on DownDetecter, the scale of this...

Instagram’s download your data tool exposed users’ passwords to public view

By Waqas Facebook somehow manages to make headlines one way or the other. Last week we were all praises for the social network for introducing the Unsend feature in the Messenger app and this week we are despising the company’s lack of interest in offering fool-proof security to its users after b...

Instagram Accidentally Exposed Some Users' Passwords In Plaintext

Instagram has recently patched a security issue in its website that might have accidentally exposed some of its users' passwords in plain text. The company recently started notifying affected users of a security bug that resides in a newly offered feature called "Download Your Data" that allows...