The data of about 23.5 million users of Instagram, Tittock and YouTube has been leaked. Personal profiles of all users are present on the dark web. According to the security researchers of the website “Comparatech” which works for the consumers, there is an unsafe database behind this data theft. Let us know that while Facebook is owned by Instagram, the short video messaging app Ticketok is controlled by China’s BiteDance. YouTube owns Google.
Forbes quoted security researchers as saying, “Users’ data was spread across multiple datasets and profile records were snatched from Instagram. Among the data leaked are 4.2 crore Ticketcock users while 4 million YouTube users. The rest of the data Instagram users belong. ” One of the five records included the users’ telephone number or email address, profile name, full real name, profile photo, account details, number of followers and likes etc. “The information will probably be of most value to spammers and cybercriminals running phishing campaigns,” said Paul Bischoff, editor of the website “Compitech”. Bischoff said in the report, “Although the data is publicly accessible, it is highly valuable due to its leaking as a database.”
Deep social had banned
According to the researchers, “the leaked data points of a company called Deep Social were banned by both Facebook and Instagram in 2018 after the users’ profile data was searched.” According to a Facebook spokesperson, “Stealing people’s information from Instagram is a clear violation of our policies. We blocked Deep Social’s access to our platform in June 2018 and sent them a legal notice.” According to Compitech, “After being given the information, data marketing company Social Data closed the unsafe database.” Social data has denied any connection with Deep Social. Earlier this month, a hackers group named Shinyhunters stole 386 million users’ data from 18 companies and put it on the hackers forum.
What is dark web
The dark web or dark net is a part of the Internet that cannot be accessed from commonly used search engines. According to researchers, only four percent of the Internet is visible to ordinary people. It is called Surface Web. The dark web is used in illicit activities such as human trafficking, drug buying and selling, arms smuggling. Dark web sites are hidden with the help of tor encryption tools, so they cannot be accessed by normal search engines.
What is fishing
The method of fraud on the Internet, in which personal and confidential information is taken from users through a fake webpage etc. and illegal gain is obtained from them.
