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YouTube Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

YouTube Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 28, 2024

In August 2020, YouTube experienced a data breach alongside TikTok and Instagram involving a compromised database owned by Social Data. This breach exposed profile data for millions of users, including personally identifiable information. Additionally, a security vulnerability was discovered that allowed unauthorized access to users' viewing history, favorites, and playlists. The exact details of this breach are unspecified.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to 235 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included personally identifiable information such as names, contact information, images, and statistics about followers, as well as YouTube viewing history, favorites, and playlists.

How was YouTube hacked?

A security bug allowed malicious websites with embedded YouTube videos to access users' account info, viewing history, favorites, and playlists, though the specific methods used by hackers in this incidents remain unclear.

YouTube's solution

In response to the hack, YouTube's actions to enhance security and prevent future incidents remain unclear. However, it is important for users to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions, such as changing passwords and monitoring their accounts for any suspicious activity.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is not clear whether YouTube reached out to affected users following the breach. If you are a YouTube user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report any unauthorized access or changes immediately.

For more specific help and instructions regarding YouTube's data breach, please contact YouTube support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the YouTube data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

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YouTube Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

YouTube Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 28, 2024

In August 2020, YouTube experienced a data breach alongside TikTok and Instagram involving a compromised database owned by Social Data. This breach exposed profile data for millions of users, including personally identifiable information. Additionally, a security vulnerability was discovered that allowed unauthorized access to users' viewing history, favorites, and playlists. The exact details of this breach are unspecified.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to 235 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included personally identifiable information such as names, contact information, images, and statistics about followers, as well as YouTube viewing history, favorites, and playlists.

How was YouTube hacked?

A security bug allowed malicious websites with embedded YouTube videos to access users' account info, viewing history, favorites, and playlists, though the specific methods used by hackers in this incidents remain unclear.

YouTube's solution

In response to the hack, YouTube's actions to enhance security and prevent future incidents remain unclear. However, it is important for users to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions, such as changing passwords and monitoring their accounts for any suspicious activity.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is not clear whether YouTube reached out to affected users following the breach. If you are a YouTube user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report any unauthorized access or changes immediately.

For more specific help and instructions regarding YouTube's data breach, please contact YouTube support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the YouTube data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

YouTube Data Breach: What & How It Happened?

Twingate Team

Jun 28, 2024

In August 2020, YouTube experienced a data breach alongside TikTok and Instagram involving a compromised database owned by Social Data. This breach exposed profile data for millions of users, including personally identifiable information. Additionally, a security vulnerability was discovered that allowed unauthorized access to users' viewing history, favorites, and playlists. The exact details of this breach are unspecified.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to 235 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included personally identifiable information such as names, contact information, images, and statistics about followers, as well as YouTube viewing history, favorites, and playlists.

How was YouTube hacked?

A security bug allowed malicious websites with embedded YouTube videos to access users' account info, viewing history, favorites, and playlists, though the specific methods used by hackers in this incidents remain unclear.

YouTube's solution

In response to the hack, YouTube's actions to enhance security and prevent future incidents remain unclear. However, it is important for users to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions, such as changing passwords and monitoring their accounts for any suspicious activity.

How do I know if I was affected?

It is not clear whether YouTube reached out to affected users following the breach. If you are a YouTube user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  • Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  • Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity and report any unauthorized access or changes immediately.

For more specific help and instructions regarding YouTube's data breach, please contact YouTube support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the YouTube data breach, check out the following news articles: