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Facebook Network Breach Affects Up to 50 Million Users Facebook Network is Breached, Putting 50 Million Users’ Data at Risk
(35 minutes later)
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook on Friday said an attack on its computer network led to the exposure of information from nearly 50 million of its users. SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said on Friday that an attack on its computer network had exposed the personal information of nearly 50 million users.
The company discovered the breach earlier this week, finding that attackers had exploited a feature in Facebook’s code that allowed them to take over user accounts. Facebook fixed the vulnerability and notified law enforcement officials. The company said it discovered the breach this week, finding that attackers had exploited a feature in Facebook’s code that allowed them to take over user accounts. The company said it fixed the vulnerability and notified law enforcement officials.
More than 90 million of Facebook’s users were forced to log out of their accounts Friday morning, a common safety measure for compromised accounts. “We’re taking it really seriously,” Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s chief executive, said in a conference call with reporters. “We have a major security effort at the company that hardens all of our surfaces.” He added: “I’m glad we found this. But it definitely is an issue that this happened in the first place.”
Facebook said it did not know the origin or identity of the attackers, nor had it fully assessed the scope of the attack. The company is in the beginning stages of its investigation. More than 90 million Facebook users were forced to log out of their accounts early Friday, a common safety measure taken when accounts have been compromised.
The discovery of the hack comes at one of the most difficult times in Facebook’s history. The company has dealt with fallout over its role in a widespread Russian disinformation campaign around the 2016 presidential election. Facebook said it did not know the origin or identity of the attackers, nor had it fully assessed the scope of the attack. The company said it was still in the beginning stages of its investigation.
The company is facing the threat of regulation from Washington over concerns of whether it has grown too powerful. And Facebook is still reeling from the fallout over its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The British analytics firm may have improperly obtained the data of up to 87 million Facebook users. Facebook said the attackers had exploited a bug in the site’s “view as” feature, which allows users to to view their own profiles as if they were someone else. The feature was built to give users move control over their privacy.
One of Facebook’s most significant challenges has been convincing its users that it is responsible enough to handle the incredible wealth of data the company handles. More than 2 billion people use Facebook every month, and another two billion separately use WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by Facebook, and Instagram, the Facebook-owned popular photo-sharing app. The company said that bug was compounded by one in Facebook’s video-uploading program, a software feature that was introduced last year. The flaw had allowed the attackers to steal so-called access tokens — digital keys that allow access to an account.
“We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you,” Mr. Zuckerberg said in a statement regarding Cambridge Analytica earlier this year. The attack was discovered as Facebook continues to contend with the aftermath of its role in a widespread Russian disinformation campaign during the 2016 presidential election and from the fallout of the British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica scandal improperly harvesting the personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users. The company also faces the prospect of federal regulation amid questions about whether it has grown too powerful.
Even before Friday’s disclosure, Facebook was facing multiple Federal investigations into the company’s broader data sharing and privacy practices. The Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an investigation into Facebook’s statements on Cambridge Analytica. One of the primary challenges for the company has been convincing its users that it can responsibly handle the incredible wealth of data it has access to. More than two billion people use Facebook every month; another two billion use WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned messaging app, and Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app.
To contain the fallout, Facebook said it has instituted strict data-sharing policies with third-parties, and has scaled back the amount of data it would share with developers in the future. The company suspended access to more than 400 third-party apps after an audit of the thousands of outside apps connected to Facebook. “We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you,” Mr. Zuckerberg said in a statement regarding Cambridge Analytica this year.
Even before the disclosure on Friday, Facebook was caught up in multiple federal investigations related to its broader data-sharing and privacy practices. The Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an inquiry into the company’s statements about the Cambridge Analytica episode.
Facebook insists it has instituted strict data-sharing policies with third parties, and has scaled back the amount of data it agrees to share with developers in the future. The company suspended access to more than 400 third-party apps after an audit of the thousands of outside apps connected to Facebook.