Gravatar: Data leaked from over 100 million users

Unfortunately, we have to report about another data scandal at a major online service. This time, the popular service “Gravatar” has been hit. According to the operator, the personal data of around 114 million users was stolen in a cyber attack. Subsequently, these were made accessible on the darknet.

Popular profile picture management service

You have never heard of Gravatar? Then let’s give you a hint. You could use the service as a handy management for the profile pictures that are on the web. In view of the many profiles that often accompany the creation of an account, this is a really practical thing. It’s hardly surprising that the service has been able to build up an amazingly large community. However, anyone who has registered with Gravatar must now fear that personal data has fallen into the hands of criminals. The reason for this seems to be, among other things, too lax protection.

Giant data package

Unfortunately, we have recently had to report more and more frequently about data thefts on the net. However, the extent to which Gravatar has now been stolen from is truly unparalleled. With almost 114 million data records captured, this is definitely one of the largest cyber attacks in recent weeks. Now we also have certainty as to what was done with the stolen data. The criminal hackers unceremoniously uploaded them to the Darknet.

All the more frightening is the fact that Gravatar was already criticized for being too careless with the security of user data almost a year ago. The security platform “HaveIbeenPwned.com” states that a security researcher pointed out the shortcomings of the online service as early as 2020. The IT expert also described the simple tactics that could be used to obtain the data. Now the warning has become reality.

How to secure yourself

The 114 million users affected must now fear that their email address is being used by criminals on the darknet to commit crimes. For many, the uncertainty is the greatest burden. However, you can easily check whether you are in possession of an affected e-mail address. A visit to the website “HaveIbeenpwned.com” is enough. You simply have to enter your email address and it will check whether you have been a victim of the attack or not. The website also checks whether your email address has been stolen in another attack. If this is the case, you are strongly advised to change your password immediately.