Snapchat data breach
From Breaches, in the HARD wiki · Updated
This article is about the January 2014 breach of Snapchat. For every breach, see Breaches.
The Snapchat data breach exposed 4,609,615 accounts from snapchat.com in January 2014. The data taken includes usernames, phone numbers and geographic locations.[1]
Have I Been Pwned verified it and added it to its search on 2 Jan 2014, within a month. It is the 212th largest of the 618 breaches in HARD’s list.
What was exposed
Snapchat’s breach included 3 kinds of data. What each lets criminals do:
| Data | What it’s used for |
|---|---|
| Usernames | Half of a login. With a reused password, it opens other accounts. |
| Phone numbers | Expect scam texts and calls, and a higher risk of someone moving your number to their SIM. |
| Geographic locations | Roughly where you live. |
What to do
- Turn on two-step sign-in.On Snapchat (snapchat.com) and your email, so leaked sign-in details aren’t enough on their own.
- Distrust messages that mention Snapchat.Scammers use breach data to sound genuine. Don’t click links in emails or texts about the breach; go to the site yourself.
- Put a PIN on your phone account.Ask your mobile provider for a port-out PIN, so no one can move your number to their SIM.
Timeline
- : the breach, as best it can be dated.
- : Have I Been Pwned verifies the data and adds it to its search, within a month.
Similar breaches
Breaches that leaked the same kinds of data, closest in time:
- Vodafone, November 2013, 56,021 accounts
- Bell (2017 breach), May 2017, 2.2 million accounts
- Sony, June 2011, 37,103 accounts
- Dubsmash, December 2018, 162 million accounts
- JD, January 2013, 77 million accounts
- Chegg, April 2018, 40 million accounts
See Breaches for all 618, and Updates for keeping your devices patched.
References
- ^ Troy Hunt. “Snapchat”, Have I Been Pwned, added 2 Jan 2014. Breach data licensed CC BY 4.0.
External links
- Have I Been Pwned, to check your email address
- snapchat.com, Snapchat’s website