7,3 Million User Data Leaked In Chess.com, Web Scraping Signs
Chess.com, hosting millions of players worldwide, has been impressed by a serious threat in cybersecurity. Personal data of 7,3 million users on the platform is leaked into the internet and analyses carried out by security researchers indicate that this information is removed using automated web scraping methods.
The basic findings of leakage may include:
- 7,3 million affected users and email addresses of them, data associated with user names
- Transfer structured data by using scraping techniques from batch to system outside
- Shows that the platform lacks data access controls and bot defense mechanisms are insufficient
- Automatic data withdrawal transactions made with open-source tools are not detected
- Abuse of user accounts and increased risk of identity theft
Such leaks are covered by the eyes of how careful internet platforms should be in data protection obligations. The Chess.com management has heard that the review starts after the event and the affected users will notify. The platform plans to strengthen data access controls and bot disorders to prevent similar attacks in the future.
Cybersecurity experts are offered users to review their accounts and modify their passwords.