Tech

Hacking Spree Season? Netflix Also Asks Users To Reset Passwords

Karen Lawson
First Posted: Jun 08, 2016 09:46 AM EDT

There have been news on hacking in the past weeks, and Netflix has urged its users to reset their passwords.

After usernames and passwords were breached in both MySpace and LinkedIn, Netflix users are encouraged to change their passwords, especially if these match their other social media accounts. An email from Netflix reads: We believe your Netflix account credentials may have been included in a recent release of email addresses and passwords from an older breach t another company. Just to be safe, we've reset your password as a precautionary measure."

In a statement, Netflix has confirmed that they are encouraging their members to change their credentials to avoid any hacking incident.  However, users are also told to be extra careful in clicking links. If passwords have to be changed, users can go directly to the website by typing the URL if they are not sure about the links they have been receiving in their inbox.

Netflix said it is dealing the issue seriously, and even developed Scumblr, a software that can scan websites that are related with their own. This can also help them identify any threat to the websites security. It added that the company has been taking the necessary steps in order to protect the credentials of their member users worldwide.

Just this week, even the Facebook Founder's social media accounts were attacked by hackers. The credentials were believed to be taken from his LinkedIn account. A group called OurMine said they are responsible of hacking Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter and Pinterest accounts. More than 170 million LinkedIn users were believed to be affected by the hacking incident that their credentials were then sold by the attackers in an online black market.

The series of website breaches is a challenge to social media account owners and security experts of these websites. 

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