ID Photos of Tens of Thousands of Accounts May Have Been Leaked, Discord Says
Discord, the messaging platform favored among gaming communities, announces that official ID photos of about 70,000 users could have been compromised after a cyber-attack.
Partner Company Targeted
The platform, which maintains over 200 million users worldwide, confirms that cybercriminals had compromised a company that assisted in confirming the user ages of its members but the Discord platform itself was not compromised.
Members can submit ID photos to confirm their age on Discord - a communication platform for players to chat and share files with others in the player network.
Extent of Data Exposure
The leaked data may involve individual details, incomplete payment card information and correspondence that were transmitted with the platform's support representatives.
Complete payment card information was not, login credentials, or correspondence and platform usage beyond conversations with Discord's customer support agents were leaked, the organization stated.
Remedial Steps
Every affected account holder have been notified and Discord is coordinating with police agencies to investigate the matter, it mentioned additionally.
The platform said it has terminated the third-party service's access to the system that was targeted in the breach. Discord chose not to specify the partner organization compromised.
Divergent Reports
Some online commentators have claimed that the security incident was bigger than Discord has disclosed.
A official for Discord declared that those assertions are inaccurate and "represent a scheme to coerce funds" from the company.
"We decline to pay those behind their criminal activities," the company official added.
Significance of Private Information
Online intruders often pursue private information, which can fetch substantial sums on the underground economy for utilization in fraudulent schemes.
Data such as full names and official ID numbers is highly sought-after because, different from financial data, it usually persists unaltered through the years.
Previous Security Steps
Discord has previously enhanced its user authentication protocols in response to concerns that certain channels on the service were being employed to share adult content and radical materials.
- Approximately 70,000 users affected
- External identity confirmation firm compromised
- Incomplete payment details could be compromised
- Support messages potentially were accessed
- Authorities participating in investigation