Instagram has been hacked, with the company believing the breach of security was aimed at high profile users of the social media app. While they believe no passwords were hacked, a statement was sent to verified users on Wednesday informing them of the breach;
We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users’ contact information — specifically email address and phone number — by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API. No account passwords were accessed. We fixed the bug swiftly and are running a thorough investigation.
Instagram went on to warn users to be aware of any suspicious activity when using the app;
Advertisement
Our main concern is for the safety of our community and, out of an abundance of caution, we are reaching out to all verified accounts. At this point we believe this effort was targeted at high-profile users. We encourage you to be extra vigilant about the security of your account and exercise caution if you encounter any suspicious activity such as unrecognised incoming calls, texts and emails.
To make your account more secure, ensure two-factor authentication is enabled and pick a strong, unique password and keep it safe. Your experience on Instagram is important to us, and we are sorry this happened. If you have concerns about your account security, you can use this dedicated email ([email protected]).
So there you have it, there is a downside to being verified.
