The latest online hack attack compromised the security of users who simply wanted to get a job.
The Washington Post confirmed yesterday that the “Jobs” section of its website was compromised, putting some 1.27 million account holders at risk.
The publications described the intrusion as “two brief episodes” near the end of June. In addition to gaining access to the million-plus account usernames, the hacker or hackers also has access to corresponding e-mail addresses.
However, password information was not obtained, so it’s not easily possible for whoever stole the data to log into anyone’s account or see their account history.
Nevertheless, “We are taking this incident very seriously,” the Post said in an e-mail to the affected users.
“We quickly identified the vulnerability and shut it down, and are pursuing the matter with law enforcement. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.”
The Washington Post job site, which acts as a digital classifieds section like Craigslist or Monster.com, remains open and the publication says it is secure. Even those who were affected should still be able to log in with no real concerns because their passwords were not compromised.
Compared to the myriad data breach stories that have already made headlines this year, this one seems relatively minor. Nevertheless, the Washington Post is urging its users to be on the lookout for suspicious e-mails and warns to never give away personal information to unsecured sources.
