How Secure is Ashley Madison? Like Really…
Ashley Madison has remained the online platform of choice for married men looking to pursue extramarital affairs since 2001. Despite being one of the most established hookup sites around, Ashley Madison hasn’t been without its fair share of bad press. In 2015, hackers stole the personal details of more than 32 million Ashley Madison users.
How Secure is Ashley Madison?
Going by the name “The Impact Team“, this hacker group threatened to publish all the stolen information online if Ashley Madison didn’t shut down its services immediately. Ashley Madison called their bluff, but the hackers made good on their promise. In August of that year, the group leaked the details of millions of users, including real names, personal addresses, and platform search history.
The Aftermath
Naturally, this data breach causes trouble for many married men who thought they were using the service discreetly. Furthermore, many Ashley Madison users found themselves at the mercy of criminals as extortionists combed through the reams of released data, threatening to contact spouses and girlfriends if ransoms weren’t paid.
How did this happen? Well, Ashley Madison didn’t have a great reputation for deleting user information in the past, even when users decided to stop using the service. Although Ashley Madison managed to survive the incident relatively unscathed, with the operator only forced to pay a paltry $1.6 million fine, there are continuing questions about how secure this hookup platform actually is.
What Changes Has Ashley Madison Implemented?
Wondering how Ashley Madison weathered the storm? Well, the company pulled out all the stops when it came to improving privacy and security. In the past, user details weren’t automatically deleted when someone wished to stop using the service. In fact, users had to pay a one-off cancellation fee to have their email addresses removed from the system and their accounts permanently suspended. Despite Ashley Madison securing a healthy stream of revenue from this tacked-on service, not everyone who paid for the option actually saw their details being sent to the virtual incinerator.
Nowadays, men using Ashley Madison can enjoy far more robust privacy measures. Two-factor authentication is now offered as standard, meaning there’s little chance of a hacker or suspicious spouse logging into an account. If you do choose to use two-factor authentication, bear in mind that this functionality is provided by a third party. This company, Nexmo, won’t leave your information vulnerable to attackers. However, should you decide to cancel your account with Ashley Madison, you’ll also need to contact this partner company to ensure they too have deleted all your data.
Furthermore, all payments are now anonymous. While men will still have to pay to purchase credits or activate additional subscriptions, Ashley Madison won’t be flagged up on any billing information. (See our post on how to get free credits on Ashley Madison)
Many adult-only websites sell stored data to third parties to generate additional revenue. Thankfully, Ashley Madison has committed to abandoning this practice. You may still find that you see personalized ads in your browser when using the desktop version of the site, but this is par for the course. If you’re serious about online privacy, you can make quick adjustments to your browser settings to prevent this from happening.
What Information Does Ashley Madison Store?
As with any dating site, you’ll need to provide Ashley Madison with personal details to create an account and start using the matchmaking feature. You’ll need to provide a username, along with your current relationship status. Other required information includes your location and date of birth. You’ll also need to outline what you’re looking for regarding affair preferences. As well as that, you’ll need to provide some information regarding your appearance. Currently, this only extends to your weight and height.
Several information fields are optional. For example, you don’t need to provide a photo to create an Ashley Madison account. However, the chances of you landing a connection without a profile photo are slim to none. The good news is that you can use anonymity features to make your profile photos as discreet as possible.
You also have the option of using biometric identification (Touch ID) to access your account. While this is practical, especially if you’re an app or mobile-first user, you may be uncomfortable with sharing this level of information. However, it’s all about balancing risk. Yes, you are handing over biometric information, but you’re also bolstering the security credentials of your account.
Is the Ashley Madison App Secure?
Ashley Madison currently offers an app for Android and iOS users. For many men, the option to use an app exclusively is not only convenient, but it also helps keep their extramarital activities as discreet as possible. That being said, there are some additional security concerns to consider if you’re an app-only user.
When using the browser-based version of Ashley Madison on a laptop or desktop computer, you won’t have to worry about disabling access to a camera or microphone. This isn’t the case with the Ashley Madison app. The app will automatically be able to access your onboard camera and microphone. This isn’t a security vulnerability as such. Rather, it’s to make capturing voice messages and taking photos to send via the platform as easy as possible. Nonetheless, you may wish to change your smartphone or tablet settings so the app has to ask you every time it requires access to these device features.
Furthermore, the app will track your location. Again, this is purely functional. It allows for automatic fetching of the nearest Ashley Madison users to make finding matches easy. However, as with camera and microphone access, you can change your device settings to manage this level of accessibility. For further tips on using the platform effectively, see our Ashley Madison Tips and Tricks article.
Are Your Details Protected When Using Ashley Madison?
There’s always a risk when using services like Ashley Madison. While the service has earned a bad reputation in recent years, it’s gone a long way in improving its security credentials. Nowadays, it’s just as secure as any other hookup platform. However, the average man using Ashley Madison has a lot to lose. To manage risk and reduce the chance of your details falling into the wrong hands, ensure you’re making full use of the privacy features available to you.
Don’t give away highly personal details in your bio. Likewise, if you’re using a photo, activate privacy features so only users you’re actively engaging with can see your galleries. Two-factor authentication is also worth using if you want to prevent third parties from accessing your account.
Finally, when the time comes to stop using Ashley Madison, make sure you’ve requested that your stored details are removed from any databases. Your information should be discarded automatically, but it’s worth emailing dpo@ashleymadison.com to make a form request. You can also contact this same email address to request amendments or access your details at any time.
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