Hackers Finally Post Stolen Ashley Madison Data

[DesertRat]

Source: Wired.com

HACKERS WHO STOLE sensitive customer information from the cheating site AshleyMadison.com appear to have made good on their threat to post the data online.

A data dump 9.7 gigabytes in size was posted on Tuesday to the dark web using an Onion address accessible only through the Tor browser. The files appear to include member account details and log-ins for the social networking site, touted as the premier site for married individuals seeking partners for affairs. Credit card and other payment transaction details are also part of the dump. AshleyMadison.com claimed to have nearly 40 million users at the time of the breach about a month ago, all apparently in the market for clandestine hookups.

“Ashley Madison is the most famous name in infidelity and married dating,” the site asserts on its homepage. “Have an Affair today on Ashley Madison. Thousands of cheating wives and cheating husbands signup everyday looking for an affair…. With Our affair guarantee package we guarantee you will find the perfect affair partner.”

The data released by the hackers includes names, addresses and phone numbers submitted by users of the site, though it’s unclear if members provided legitimate details. A sampling of the data indicates that users likely provided random numbers and addresses.


Read more: http://www.wired.com/2015/08/happened-hackers-posted-stolen-ashley-madison-data/

[OnlinePoker]

1. Oh please let there be one or two GOP contenders in there. n/t

[Kablooie]

7. Let there be 19 GOP contenders in there.

But I'm sure the Bill Clinton jokes are rampant on conservative web sites.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. O U C H !

They should be linking to a divorce lawyer and taking a % cut of the fallout...

* the data dump shows that some 15,000 are .mil. or .gov addresses

[jtuck004]

3. Great. A bunch of people will choose to be hurt, or not, and nothing will change. Big nothing. n/t

[ToxMarz]

4. Again that scary dark web raises it's ugly head

Take my rights away, I insist. Just say you'll protect me from this evil bastion of total freedom.

[BlueJazz]

5. Trash me but I feel little to no sympathy for them. For their spouses..Yes.

I'm a tight-ass about shit like that.

[NJCher]

14. me too

If you can't be honest with the person to whom you are closest in life, then what does that make you?

And if that person isn't the closest in your life, what are you doing with them in the first place?


Cher

[Frank Cannon]

19. In many ways, they're getting exactly what they deserve.

I have never understood why anyone planning to cheat on a spouse would actually sign up to do it on a website. If someone is that stupid, and even crazy enough to give hand over their real credit card info, etc., then they deserve every bad thing that happens to them.

[randome]

20. No. They don't.

Neither you nor the hackers are the moral Guardians Of The Galaxy. You have no idea of the complexity of relationships in the world and you should stop pretending that everything is black and white and should be forced to fit into your narrow view of reality.

And no, I have never signed up for anything on Ashley Madison and I never cheated on my ex. But I understand how pressures build and I especially understand that things get even more complicated when children are involved.

But I suppose we should consider them collateral damage in this event. Or do you subscribe to the theory that children 'deserve' this, too?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[Frank Cannon]

22. So cheating on your spouse is ok...

As long as your family doesn't find about it.

Whatever you say.

And I'm not endorsing the hackers. They should be found and punished. But forgive me if I lack sympathy for the idiots who signed up for this site.

[randome]

23. Disapproving of cheating is not my call. It shouldn't be anyone's call.

People in loveless, sexless marriages don't always think clearly. Does that account for all, or even the majority of the users of the site? Probably not. But it's no one's business to decide that. No one 'deserves' this any more than anyone 'deserves' to be stuck with a spouse they don't love.

Shit happens. What the hackers did was pretty shitty and a lot of people will be harmed by this.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[BlueJazz]

24. I understand your feelings. "My Thing" on the subject is partially the cheating aspect but mostly..

...the fact that the cheating spouse can bring home diseases that can/might bring years of pain and suffering to their partner.
If I were King I'd have prostitution as a legal ...um...outlet.

[randome]

25. Married or not, one can always catch an STD.

If unprotected sex was a crime, it might be different, but it's not. Adultery is a misdemeanor in all but a handful of states. There are adultery sites in other countries, too. I suppose the hackers will go after them next.

I simply don't approve of anonymous hackers thinking they can decide what relationships are permitted or not.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[Frank Cannon]

28. Not to mention the whole "inviting blackmail" thing.

That right there can destroy a family, and it has many times.

Ashley Madison always seemed to me the perfect "honey pot" for bored guys with more money than brains.

[duhneece]

26. I'd agree with EXCEPT for my knowledge of HIV, Hep...

There are too many health risks by unknowing partners for me to continue believing that it is none of my business.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

34. There are also people that have permission from their spouses to "cheat".

There are open marriages, people that have no sex drive, but feel guilty that their spouse can't have sex, etc.

[Frank Cannon]

37. I'm sure there were also some that don't belong there at all.

Like maybe a kid got a hold of his dad's credit card or a disgruntled employee signed his boss up.

Believe me, I think the hackers should be found and punished for what they did. But I also think that anyone who willingly came to this site actively looking for what it offers are getting what they deserve.

[HFRN]

27. and kids

as someone who has worked in tech, I cannot imagine working for ashley madison, even if it were my last chance to ever work in tech again

and as far as the 'outers' go, as much as i feel the cheaters deserve it, the collateral damage is massive and completely uncontrollable, therefor, immoral to 'out' ('outers' in general are too close a cousin to 'blackmailers' for me)


PLUS: while this may be an actual ashley madison data dump, who's word are you taking for it? anonymous hackers? how do you know the data wasn't modified/appended/censored before dumping? if someone's name was added (say, someone the hackers consider an adversary) their life is ruined, unless 'blackmailers code of ethics' would prevent that

[duhneece]

38. Because those unknowing spouses can catch HIV, Hep...

and be a danger to their children by close contact, the cheating spouse has become a public health threat. Much like we used to consider child abuse and domestic abuse as 'not our problem' but learned that isn't true...
We did then what we knew to do (kept quiet, didn't 'out' anyone), when we know better, let's do better. No one has the right to keep cheating a secret; it's a public health matter now, we know.

[roamer65]

6. If you play...

You gotta pay.

[7962]

8. Ummm, I gotta go................

[IronLionZion]

9. ooh yeah! this is all because the gays can get married now

ruining marriages already!



Is it wrong for me to enjoy the thought of all the scorned spouses and new divorces coming? Obamacare covers STD testing!

[AnnieBW]

10. How many anti-gay people are on there?

I wonder.

[wheniwasincongress]

11. From Wired:

One analysis of email addresses found in the data dump also shows that some 15,000 are .mil. or .gov addresses

[DesertRat]

12. Well someone apparently used Tony Blair's email address too

I saw this on Twitter

:large

[closeupready]

13. Meaningless, IMO.

What are they suggesting that this proves, really?

Much as we don't like to think about it, hacking happens; swiftboating happens; for some, this will be convincing; for me, I'd need a hell of a lot more to buy into the idea that someone's name appearing in their database means much more than ... the name appeared in their database.

I'm registered as Mickey Mouse on one board, IIRC. So what.

[Javaman]

17. in other news: Minny is pissed! nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

30. It includes credit card transactions too.

Which require a billing name and address on most sites, because you get a lower transaction cost from credit card processors as a retailer the more data you include.

So you'd have to be providing the legit name and address tied to a given credit card, Mickey.

[closeupready]

31. Oh right - thanks. Squeak, squeak.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

32. Well, to play devil's advocate...

A lot of those transactions COULD be on 'burner cards', those prepaid ones you can buy for cash at grocery stores and pharmacies.

But my bet is on there being a lot of stupid people who used their own real cards.

[genwah]

15. OK I hate this story and just browsing around I'm not so crazy about the early DU response

Disclaimer: I am a former and sometimes occasional #sexwork-er I am a strong advocate for #decrimsexwork as #SexWorkIsRealWork My opinions are my own and I have no final positions yet (insert your own position joke here) on this story Nonetheless

1) NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE UNWILLINGLY OUTED (almost) I adhere to the Barney Frank rule; Unless you are an outspoken moralizing jerk in your public life your private life is your own. It's why we call it "private". Republicans, preachers, school teachers and any other publically moralizing prigs? Fine, okay out them But the Ashley Madison hackers didn't discriminate they outed every one and that was IMHO wrong

2) Who says that Ashley Madison customers were hiding anything from the people who had a need to know? There are such things as open relationships, not every "affair" is a secret. But by (apparently) posting RL names peoples very personal lives are now a matter of public scrutiny. How many teachers among others will lose their jobs because of an open arrangement by people who expected and deserve privacy?

3) OK IMHO Ashley Madison is worse than hookers. If one is not in an open or flexible relationship AM is advertising for "affairs" Which is worse, an "affair" with possible emotional attachments or a simple cash-and-carry (well, not so much "carry" unless you're really strong) arrangement My point is that extramarital or extra-relationship sex should be a negotiated option When it's not a paid transaction it's better than an "affair' and promoting "affairs" is not necessarily a good thing.

4) Apparently there were government and military folks outed as well So now they're security risks The same way LGBT folks were before we decided if you're out who cares? How long will it take before we say to the AM crowd, who enrolled for any of many reasons "You're out so who cares?"

5) Credit card numbers? Really? CREDIT CARD NUMBERS? A little friendly fornication is one thing but CREDIT CARD NUMBERS?" You Ashley Madison hackers are the lowest of the low. Pedophiles will spit on you in Hell

[jtuck004]

16. ^^ This^^ n/t

[randome]

18. A lot of families with children will be broken up by this. I agree with you.

Hacking for the 'sport' of harming people is not something to celebrate any more than killing a lion for 'sport' is.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[vankuria]

21. Just wondering

why people that want to cheat have to join an internet service, I mean isn't there enough like minded people in their community to cheat with? I've known some cheaters in my day and they never seemed to have trouble finding others to mess around with...just wondering.

Guess I'm just an old fashioned girl.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

35. People tend not to blab about those things to their neigbors

What are you supposed to do? Go up to every woman and ask "hi, do you wanna fuck?". That's why people go to sites like this because their is a implicit common desire.

[vankuria]

36. Okay I get it

I guess I thought people still did cheating the old fashioned way, hitting on someone at a bar or where ever. Apparently internet sites eliminate a lot of the steps and make it easier. Glad we got that cleared up!

[ShrimpPoboy]

33. Mixed feelings about this

I don't agree with publicizing any private person's private life and so have to disagree with this on principle. On the other hand, it's hard to feel much sympathy for the victims here.