Celebrity Nude Photos Hacked and Stolen
Hackers claim to have gained access to the personal private data belonging to a number of celebrities. Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Hudson, Kirsten Dunst, pop star Ariana Grande, and many others have had their nude photos posted on the web by these hackers. It is personal private data…stolen and made public for all the world to see. How did this flagrant violation of privacy happen and what steps can you take to prevent this sort of thing from happening to you? Learn how to keep control of your personal private data and don’t give the hackers a chance.
How did this happen?
The initial claim was that the hackers gained access to these celebrities iCloud accounts, and it could have happened this way. If this was the case, most likely, these stars’ iCloud account passwords were obtained through a phishing or brute-force attack. There is also the possibility that a past security vulnerability within iCloud was used, but has since been closed. Apple has denied that iCloud itself was hacked, but that they “…have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords, and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet.”
Why are their nude photos on the cloud anyway?
Over the last several years, smartphone operating systems like Google’s Android,
So what can you do to prevent this from happening to you?
- LastPass (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
- KeePass (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
- 1Password (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
- Roboform (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
- MSecure (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
- Dashlane (Mac | Windows | iOS | Android)
You should also seriously consider setting up 2-step authentication for the services you use and have it available. 2-step authentication requires you to enter a separate code given to you, via text message or another application, from the service when you login from a different location or device. The following services offer two-step authentication:
- Google and Gmail
- Microsoft
- Apple iCloud
- Dropbox
- Facebook (Settings > Security > Login Approvals)
- PayPal
UPDATE: According to this TechCrunch article, Apple’s Two Factor Authentication Doesn’t Protect iCloud Backups Or Photo Streams. 2-step authentication may not currently protect your iCloud photostream but it will add a layer of security for the rest of your Apple account information.
You can further protect yourself by installing a security software suite on your desktop computer or your mobile devices as an additional line of defense for your data. We recommend the following products:
- Kaspersky PURE 3.0 Total Security for Windows
- Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac
- Kaspersky Internet Security for Android
- Kaspersky Safe Browser for iOS
You also need to be on the lookout for phishing scams which attempt to trick you into providing your password. These schemes are usually attempted by sending the target an email and asking them to log into their account. The link sends them to a fake website that is just collecting the username and password. Never click on links in unrequested emails from services you use. If you ever have a question about an email you receive, always go to the original website address for this service by typing the URL into your browser. Do not click on the link in the email. Another great suggestion: don’t use Public Wifi Access Points! Most Wi-Fi hotspots don’t encrypt the information you send over the internet and they aren’t secure. If you use an unsecured access point to log in to an unencrypted site, other users on the network can see what you see and see what you send. Your your login credentials could be up for grabs.
To Backup or Not to Backup, that is the question
- How to turn off iOS iCloud Photo Stream automatic photo backup
- How to turn off Google Photos automatic backup
- How to turn off Windows Phone automatic photo backup
- How to disable Dropbox photo upload (various devices see links on page)
- How to turn off Flickr app photo Auto Sync
What have we learned?
The most important thing you should learn is that there are people out there who have no regard for your privacy. They are scratching and digging to find a way to hack in and obtain your information. It may be your photos, it could your bank account information. The hackers don’t really care what they can find, and they will continue to make attempts to access your accounts.
About GWAVA
GWAVA delivers messaging security, unified archiving and retrieval, social media, and mobile data management for thousands of organizations with millions of users around the world. GWAVA is the trusted partner that secures and protects the world’s most critical messaging infrastructures. GWAVA maintains a network of global channel partners to ensure widespread access to GWAVA’s leading edge solutions. Find out more at www.GWAVA.com