Snapchat Breach: What You Need to Know and How to Protect Yourself

Is your Snapchat activity truly as private as you thought? 

The online world had been shaken by the unsettling reports of Snapchat leaks. 

Come along as we explore the potential impacts of these leaks, go over the unsettling details, and provide crucial advice on how to manage your privacy.

What Happened in the Snapchat Leak?

Thousands of private Snapchat photos and videos, including a sizable portion of child pornography, were reportedly released online in October 2014. About 200,000 Snapchat members were reportedly impacted by the hack, which became known as "The Snappening".

After further investigation, it was discovered that the content that had been leaked had been taken from unapproved third-party apps that let people store and retrieve Snapchat content without the sender's consent. 

Snapchat apologizes for data breach https://t.co/71R8oVb77g #cybersecurity #BigData #millenial pic.twitter.com/dXhcJBNXP8

— janetgranger (@janetgranger) March 6, 2016

These apps were able to obtain private user data earlier in the year thanks to a hack of Snapchat's unauthorized API.

On New Year's Eve, a website named SnapchatDB.info went up once again and offered to download what it claimed to be a database that contained the phone numbers and usernames of 4.6 million Snapchat members.

Officially giving up on @Snapchat

My account was hacked on 2/21 by someone on the other side of the country (yes- I had 2 factor auth on and this was when a bunch of my accounts got hacked) and they finally got back to me with this message 2 months later.

You can fuck off now pic.twitter.com/E33KalRSnN

— Reina Scully (@ReinaScully) April 16, 2018

The great majority of Snapchat consumers’' phone numbers and username pairings were included in the database. The website states: 

"This information is being shared with the public to raise awareness on the issue. It was obtained through the recently patched Snapchat exploit."

What was the Impact on Snapchat Members?

The 2014 hacks on Snapchat had a significant effect on social media enthusiasts. With the exposure of millions of identities and phone numbers, user confidence in the site fell. Snapchat's image took a serious hit, which resulted in a decline in consumers and perhaps legal problems. 

However, the issue also forced the business to improve safety protocols and give customers more control over their privacy preferences.

Snapchat's Response to The Snappening

The Snappening exposed a serious security hole in Snapchat. Due to platform weaknesses that unauthorized third-party programs took advantage of, a significant number of private images were leaked. 

Snapchat responded by stepping up its security protocols, putting more stringent controls in place, and taking tougher actions against these third-party apps. 

The breach highlighted the need for audience caution and the possible risks associated with sharing sensitive content online, even though the corporation insisted that its servers were not compromised.

What are the Potential Privacy Risks from Exposed Data?

Over the years, Snapchat has experienced multiple data breaches and privacy issues. Many major privacy risks can arise from the disclosure of consumer information, including:

Jeopardizing Personal Data

Names, birth dates, residences, phone numbers, and other publicly available information can be used to forge identities or steal real ones.

Exposing Sensitive Content

Disclosing personal images, recordings, or correspondence may result in humiliation, intimidation, or extortion.

Employing Social Engineering

Hackers can trick people into disclosing private information or clicking on dangerous links by using personal information.

Cyberbullying

People might be targeted with cyberbullying if their personal information has been made public.

Invading Privacy

Feeling as though private information has been disclosed without permission can be extremely upsetting.

How to Take Immediate Action in Case of a Data Breach?

You must take immediate action to stop the spread and potential harm if you find out that your private Snapchat content has been exposed online.

• Keep track of and archive any proof of the leak, such as screenshots and the URLs pointing to the content.

• Inform Snapchat about the leak by using their approved support methods. Give them all the proof you have gathered, and ask them to take action to get the content taken down from other websites.

• Installing or using unapproved third-party apps that promise to provide more Snapchat features is never a good idea.

• Don't send private information that you wouldn't want to be seen by everyone. Recipients can always snap a screenshot, even of messages that vanish.

Scan the Dark Web 24/7

You can track your personal information on the dark web proactively and get notified in advance of identity theft and possible breaches.

See Data Broker Risk Score

You can assess the risk that data brokers present to minimize the exposure and understand how your data is being used.

Auto-Delete Search History

You can use PurePrivacy to automatically remove all traces of your searches, shielding your privacy from prying eyes and stopping undesired tracking.

Avoid Unwanted Web Trackers

You can protect your surfing habits and browsing history, and reduce intrusive, targeted advertising by blocking 1000+ web trackers.

Wrapping Up!

The security flaws in online platforms were brought to light by the Snapchat leak. Modern security design is an investment that organizations must make if they want to stop similar instances from jeopardizing customer data.