14 Million Customers Affected By Hostinger Breach: How to Secure Your Data

McAfee

Aug 27, 2019

3 MIN READ

Whether you’re a small business owner or a blogger, having an accessible website is a must. That’s why many users look to web hosting companies so they can store the files necessary for their websites to function properly. One such company is Hostinger. This popular web, cloud, and virtual private server hosting provider and domain registrar boasts over 29 million users. But according to TechCrunch, the company recently disclosed that it detected unauthorized access to a database containing information on 14 million customers.

Let’s dive into the details of this breach. Hostinger received an alert on Friday that a server had been accessed by an unauthorized third party. The server contained an authorization token allowing the alleged hacker to obtain further access and escalate privileges to the company’s systems, including an API (application programming interface) database. An API database defines the rules for interacting with a particular web server for a specific use. In this case, the API server that was breached was used to query the details about clients and their accounts. The database included non-financial information including customer usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, first names, and IP addresses.

Since the breach, Hostinger stated that it has identified the origin of the unauthorized access and the vulnerable system has since been secured. As a precaution, the company reset all user passwords and is in contact with respective authorities to further investigate the situation.

Although no financial data was exposed in this breach, it’s possible that cybercriminals can use the data from the exposed server to carry out several other malicious schemes. To protect your data from these cyberattacks, check out the following tips:

Be vigilant about checking your accounts. If you suspect that your data has been compromised, frequently check your accounts for unusual activity. This will help you stop fraudulent activity in its tracks.
Reset your password. Even if your password wasn’t automatically reset by Hostinger, update your credentials as a precautionary measure.
Practice good password hygiene. A cybercriminal can crack hashed passwords, such as the ones exposed in this breach, and use the information to access other accounts using the same password. To avoid this, make sure to create a strong, unique password for each of your online accounts.

And, as always, stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats by following me and @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.