AOL Finally Admits They Were Hacked

pdclarry writes: "Anyone managing email servers or lists has suspected for several weeks a major hack of AOL's servers, based on a sudden spurt in spam ostensibly from AOL email addresses (but actually spoofed) and sent to the contact lists of those AOL accounts. Of course, there is a steady stream of such spam from hacked individual accounts on many services, but the magnitude and suddenness of the most recent spam attack argues against individual account invasions. Well, AOL has finally come clean. Apparently unknown individuals accessed AOL's servers and took screen names, account information including mailing addresses, contact lists, encrypted passwords and encrypted answers to security questions. And possibly credit card information. AOL claims that it affects 'only' 2% of their members, but recommends that everyone change their passwords and security questions."

Comments

2%?

[Anonymous Coward]

2% of their members....roughly equivalent to 42 users if my math is correct.

Re:2%?

[Anonymous Coward]

I signed up for a free @netscape.net email address circa 2001. That one still works, but it's been an AOL alias for many years now.

Didn't see it coming?

[B33rNinj4]

Wait, they employ a "Digital Prophet." Why didn't Shingy see it coming?

Did they get at the free disc silos???

[NotDrWho]

Tell me those are still okay, PLEASE!!!

thegiggling666@aol.com

[WhatsAProGingrass]

Just got an email from an aol account user 20 minutes ago from "thegiggling666@aol.com." All it said was something about Scanning of class A to C IP ranges for an unlimited amount of ports and about 20 other unique features of some product. Also a youtube link that I have yet to click on.

No way

[CauseBy]

I'm having a hard time believing this story because I'm pretty sure AOL ceased to exist fifteen years ago.

Misleading

[soundguy]

These AOLoser accounts don't represent living beings. Everyone with a pulse left for greener pastures a decade ago. All that's left are the accounts of people who died and who's estates keep autopaying the bill. I.E., they are ZOMBIE accounts.

...and so it begins

When will Yahoo admit it?

[gander666]

Seems like 2 or 3 contacts a week with Yahoo mail accounts gets hacked every week. I really wish Yahoo would get their shit together too.

Re:When will Yahoo admit it?

[Qzukk]

Guessing someone's password is not hacking. Especially if it's a yahoo user who probably thought it would be hilarious to use "assword" after they were told they couldn't have "password".

I think we all missed the real news here

[Anonymous Coward]

AOL Still exists?!

Re:I think we all missed the real news here

[GarethIwanFairclough]

AOL Still exists?!

Yup.

Change our security questions?

[Daetrin]

"AOL claims that it affects 'only' 2% of their members, but recommends that everyone change their passwords and security questions."

Hey mom? Sorry to bother you, but AOL got hacked, so could you please change your maiden name? I need a new answer for my security question.

This is like...

[TsuruchiBrian]

This is like finding out that Dutch East India Company servers were hacked.

Re:I am shocked. *shocked*

[Anrego]

AOL is kinda weird. They own a bunch of fairly big things, but their brand means nothing any more and they don't really throw it around (who wants to read "The AOL Huffington Post"). They pretty much exist as an invisible parent company.

Good Timing

[Oysterville]

Just before Mother's Day, so many a geek can go see Grandma and kill two birds with one stone.

surprise, surprise, surprise

[Indy1]

Aol has always been pretty spammy, but they've gotten out of control lately, and as usual, ignoring the problem.

I lost patience with them years ago, and started firewalling any netblock from them that was causing problems.

Solved a lot of problems, and since no one in their right mind uses them anymore, I'm not too worried about blocking anything legit.