Official ID Pictures of Tens of Thousands of Accounts May Have Been Leaked, According to Discord
Discord, the chat application favored among video game players, announces that government identification images of approximately 70,000 users may have been exposed following a digital security breach.
External Provider Attacked
The platform, which maintains more than 200 million users internationally, confirms that hackers had breached a provider that helped to verify the age verification of its users but the Discord platform itself was not breached.
Users can provide ID photos to confirm their age on Discord - a communication platform for gaming enthusiasts to interact and exchange content with other members in the gaming community.
Scope of Information Leak
The leaked data could include individual details, incomplete payment card information and messages that were transmitted with the company's help desk staff.
No full credit card details, login credentials, or messages and activity apart from exchanges with Discord's help desk representatives were leaked, the firm said.
Remedial Steps
All impacted users have been contacted and Discord is working with law enforcement to investigate the matter, it mentioned additionally.
The company announced it has terminated the external company's access to the platform that was affected by the intrusion. Discord did not name the partner organization compromised.
Divergent Reports
Some digital analysts have claimed that the security incident was bigger than Discord has acknowledged.
A official for Discord stated that those assertions are incorrect and "part of an attempt to coerce funds" from the company.
"We decline to pay those accountable for their illegal actions," the representative added.
Significance of Personal Data
Cybercriminals frequently target personal data, which can fetch substantial sums on the black market for application for deceptive practices.
Data such as full names and government identification codes is particularly prized because, unlike credit card details, it generally stays constant over time.
Past Verification Initiatives
Discord has in the past strengthened its age confirmation procedures in answer to worries that particular communities on the service were being employed to share adult content and radical materials.
- Approximately 70,000 users compromised
- Third-party age verification provider targeted
- Fragmentary financial details could be compromised
- Support correspondence may have been accessed
- Authorities engaged in examination
