Ancestry.com Data Breach Exposes Emails, Login Information of 300,000 Registered Users
By Phil Archer, State Attorney // January 5, 2018
users have been informed via email
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Ancestry.com recently confirmed that a server on its RootsWeb service exposed a file that had usernames, email addresses and passwords of 300,000 registered users.
In an official statement released by Ancestry.com’s Chief Information Security Officer Tony Blackham, they have confirmed that the file does contain the login credentials of the users of RootWeb’s surname list information.
To protect its users, Ancestry has locked out the accounts of the customers who used the same credentials on RootsWeb’s surname list and Ancestry.com. These users have been informed via email and are required to create a new password for their accounts.
If you use Ancestry.com or any of its services, here’s what you can do:
• Change your password: Even if you are not notified by the company, you should still change it immediately.
• Check other accounts: If you are using the same passwords for multiple accounts, change them now as well.
• Beware of phishing: Once the news of a data breach gets out, opportunistic cybercriminals try and scam unsuspecting people with phishing attacks.
• Use a password manager: You can use a third-party password manager to automatically create complex passwords for you across multiple sites.
• Check your email and username accounts at Have I Been Pwnd
Related Story:State Attorney Phil Archer Sworn To Second Four-Year Term for Brevard and Seminole Counties
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