Hackers make good on threat to publish Ashley Madison members' data
Hackers who circumvented security at extramarital affairs website Ashley Madison last month have made good on their threat to publish confidential member’s data online after the site owners Avid Life Media ignored an ultimatum to shut the platform down.
It is believed that as much as 9.7 gigabytes of information was initially posted on the ‘dark web’ including member account and credit card details, including email addresses – some of which is now circulating on the public internet.
According to Wired this was accompanied by a short statement which read: “Avid Life Media has failed to take down Ashley Madison and Established Men. We have explained the fraud, deceit, and stupidity of ALM [Avid Life Media] and their members. Now everyone gets to see their data.”
Avid Life condemned the move, arguing that the hackers had no right to appoint themselves as ‘moral judge, juror and executioner, seeing fit to impose a personal notion of virtue on all of society.’
Attempts to unmask the hackers, who identified themselves only as Impact Team, have thus far proved fruitless with Avid Life asking the FBI to assist alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto Police.