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What happened in the Patreon data breach?

What happened in the Patreon data breach?

Twingate Team

Apr 11, 2024

In October 2015, the crowdfunding platform Patreon experienced a data breach when a mirror of the site intended for testing and development was left exposed on the internet. Users were advised to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.33 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included registered names, email addresses, posts, some shipping addresses, and a limited number of billing addresses, while financial information, passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained encrypted and secure.

How was Patreon hacked?

In the 2015 Patreon data breach, hackers exploited an exposed mirror of the site intended for testing and development purposes. The data seems to have come from a debug version of the site that was visible to the internet. The main vulnerability was the exposed mirror of the site, and another vulnerability was the storage of email addresses and possibly home addresses in clear text.

Patreon's solution

In response to the data breach, Patreon took several measures to enhance its security and prevent future incidents. They advised users to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases. Patreon's founder, Jack Conte, confirmed that no financial information was compromised, and all passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained safely encrypted. The company also notified affected customers and encouraged them to update their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Patreon notified affected users about the breach. If you're a Patreon user and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned, a platform that monitors data breaches and can notify individuals if their data has been disclosed in recognized data leaks.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, and not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached platform's account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For specific help and instructions related to Patreon's data breach, please contact Patreon's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Patreon data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

/

What happened in the Patreon data breach?

What happened in the Patreon data breach?

Twingate Team

Apr 11, 2024

In October 2015, the crowdfunding platform Patreon experienced a data breach when a mirror of the site intended for testing and development was left exposed on the internet. Users were advised to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.33 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included registered names, email addresses, posts, some shipping addresses, and a limited number of billing addresses, while financial information, passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained encrypted and secure.

How was Patreon hacked?

In the 2015 Patreon data breach, hackers exploited an exposed mirror of the site intended for testing and development purposes. The data seems to have come from a debug version of the site that was visible to the internet. The main vulnerability was the exposed mirror of the site, and another vulnerability was the storage of email addresses and possibly home addresses in clear text.

Patreon's solution

In response to the data breach, Patreon took several measures to enhance its security and prevent future incidents. They advised users to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases. Patreon's founder, Jack Conte, confirmed that no financial information was compromised, and all passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained safely encrypted. The company also notified affected customers and encouraged them to update their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Patreon notified affected users about the breach. If you're a Patreon user and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned, a platform that monitors data breaches and can notify individuals if their data has been disclosed in recognized data leaks.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, and not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached platform's account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For specific help and instructions related to Patreon's data breach, please contact Patreon's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Patreon data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Patreon data breach?

Twingate Team

Apr 11, 2024

In October 2015, the crowdfunding platform Patreon experienced a data breach when a mirror of the site intended for testing and development was left exposed on the internet. Users were advised to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 2.33 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included registered names, email addresses, posts, some shipping addresses, and a limited number of billing addresses, while financial information, passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained encrypted and secure.

How was Patreon hacked?

In the 2015 Patreon data breach, hackers exploited an exposed mirror of the site intended for testing and development purposes. The data seems to have come from a debug version of the site that was visible to the internet. The main vulnerability was the exposed mirror of the site, and another vulnerability was the storage of email addresses and possibly home addresses in clear text.

Patreon's solution

In response to the data breach, Patreon took several measures to enhance its security and prevent future incidents. They advised users to change their passwords on Patreon and any other sites using similar passphrases. Patreon's founder, Jack Conte, confirmed that no financial information was compromised, and all passwords, social security numbers, and tax form information remained safely encrypted. The company also notified affected customers and encouraged them to update their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Patreon notified affected users about the breach. If you're a Patreon user and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned, a platform that monitors data breaches and can notify individuals if their data has been disclosed in recognized data leaks.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, and not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached platform's account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For specific help and instructions related to Patreon's data breach, please contact Patreon's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Patreon data breach, check out the following news articles: