Leaked information. Are we really safe at all?

PrimeNumber7

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Quote from: DdmrDdmr on November 14, 2019, 02:43:08 AM

Quote from: PrimeNumber7 on November 14, 2019, 02:21:07 AM

<…> Although many email addresses were leaked, they were only leaked in batches of 1,000 people to those 1,000 people, so the entire world doesn't necessarily know your BitMex email address if it was leaked.

The thing is that, eventually, some people start putting those together and shift/sell them around. For example, if we take a look at this Tweet (https://twitter.com/lawmaster/status/1190748469633462279), the author claims that:

- He has got his hands on a list of 23K BitMEX leaked emails (23 batches there).
- He estimates, and this is interesting, that 70% of the list can be doxed because the email itself use either a name and surname composition, or a unique specific domain name. That is something to consider.

Assuming he is telling the truth (I don’t believe everything I read on Twitter), it would show that these people have a BitMex account. For those with their full name in their email, they may have used an alias.

It should remain that it is a best practice to take care to verify the content of any emails or messages are accurate before relying on the information or taking action based on its content.

DdmrDdmr

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Quote from: PrimeNumber7 on November 14, 2019, 02:21:07 AM

<…> Although many email addresses were leaked, they were only leaked in batches of 1,000 people to those 1,000 people, so the entire world doesn't necessarily know your BitMex email address if it was leaked.

The thing is that, eventually, some people start putting those together and shift/sell them around. For example, if we take a look at this Tweet (https://twitter.com/lawmaster/status/1190748469633462279), the author claims that:

- He has got his hands on a list of 23K BitMEX leaked emails (23 batches there).
- He estimates, and this is interesting, that 70% of the list can be doxed because the email itself use either a name and surname composition, or a unique specific domain name. That is something to consider.

PrimeNumber7

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Quote from: Lafu on November 03, 2019, 06:20:56 PM

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

It is best to to use unique email addresses for each financial account, but I don't believe an email address associated with a financial account makes it unreliable.

There are many people who have publicly facing email addresses, and many of them probably use those same email addresses with some of their financial accounts.

As long as you use completely unique passwords (not password1, password2, password3, and so on) with each account, you should be generally safe.

I received a handful of spam emails, and another handful of scam emails to my throwaway email associated with my BitMex account, but after ignoring all of them, they stopped after a few days. Although many email addresses were leaked, they were only leaked in batches of 1,000 people to those 1,000 people, so the entire world doesn't necessarily know your BitMex email address if it was leaked.

Kakmakr

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This is just an opportunist seeing an opportunity to spam his referral link and nothing for you to worry about. Some exchanges offer small rewards for people who refer other people to their platform, so these users will use every opportunity to spam that referral link, without people noticing it.

~~I am not sure if Bitmex has some reward program in place for referrals, because I am not registered on their site.~~ I doubt if I would ever sign up with them after what has happened. Roll Eyes

Edit : https://www.bitmex.com/app/affiliates <-- Now I am sure. Cool

The Golden rule --> Never click on links provided to you in unsolicited emails. Wink

LbtalkL

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These websites and programs are made by person so it can be hacked or infiltrated by a person too. We are not really safe that is why I am not comfortable uploading sensitive data like KYC details. Cryptocurrency is meant to be anonymous and free but I guess it is needed enable to work with regulations.

tbct_mt2

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Quote from: AverageGlabella on November 04, 2019, 06:28:08 PM

If you want to be super overly paranoid then you might as well assume as soon as there is another third party involved your data has already been compromised. This could be from leaks or this could be from employees seeing that data by routinely reviewing it.

Realistically you can never protect your data 100% because at some point you will need to involve a third party in whatever sector of your life. Bitcoin data with the KYC requirements and the increasing amount of laws being put in place for Bitcoin will mean data will need to be submitted if you are to ever exchange Bitcoin.

When personal identities uploaded on online environments, it does not matter who or which ones store that data, from governments to exchanges, there are higher risks to lose our identities that in turn will be likely compromised for bad and shady purposes, not only financial compromises but also other things.

When KYCs first required mandatorily on some big exchanges, people were paranoid but they turned into more familiar with KYCs. I believe that months or years later when KYCs are one of prerequisites to be eligble using crypto exchanges, people will not paranoid about that. Third-party or not, there are also risks with KYCs, in my opinion.

At current period, we have options to choose KYC-required exchanges or KYC-free exchanges but in the future I don't think we will have such KYC-freedom.

AverageGlabella

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If you want to be super overly paranoid then you might as well assume as soon as there is another third party involved your data has already been compromised. This could be from leaks or this could be from employees seeing that data by routinely reviewing it.

Realistically you can never protect your data 100% because at some point you will need to involve a third party in whatever sector of your life. Bitcoin data with the KYC requirements and the increasing amount of laws being put in place for Bitcoin will mean data will need to be submitted if you are to ever exchange Bitcoin.

darkangel11

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Quote from: Lafu on November 03, 2019, 06:20:56 PM

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

You're overdoing it. People voluntarily put their emails in giveaways, newsletters, bounty campaigns, along with their facebook and twitter accounts. It's not like leaked email is going to get you hacked.

There are some golden rules you should follow regardless of whether you're posting your emails at various sites and forums or not.
You should never open attachments and you never answer emails from random people. Don't click links and stuff that you receive in email unless you're expecting something from a service you've just registered in or someone that you know.

Saint-loup

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Quote from: tsaroz on November 03, 2019, 10:51:45 PM

Don't want to remember it but my email was leaked through this forum. And there were so much bruteforce attack on several of my accounts in different sites. I used to join every site with the single email and that leak made me change email on every sites. With two emails, there were different problems on syncing through my phone and accounts.
Now I'he made different email addresses for my personal and official use while others for crypto related sites.

My bitmex email had been leaked through this so called bug. And for the moment there hasn't been one single attempt to log in my Bitmex account.

BTW it seems you can ask Bitmex support for changing your email address if it had been leaked.

Quote

BitMEX Support (contact here) is working shifts with extra agents, continuing to handle customer requests to change email addresses, answer questions, and provide security assessment and advice.

https://blog.bitmex.com/email-privacy-issue-what-is-happening-and-how-can-we-help/

Velkro

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Quote from: mk4 on November 01, 2019, 11:08:02 AM

Just fyi, only the email addresses themselves are leaked. So you should be left unaffected(security wise) if you didn't do something so careless like having the same passwords with other accounts.

Which is most common mistake people make.
This is reason one hack could lead to much much much more damage than it should.
Security should be first learning topic by bitcoin users.

tsaroz

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Don't want to remember it but my email was leaked through this forum. And there were so much bruteforce attack on several of my accounts in different sites. I used to join every site with the single email and that leak made me change email on every sites. With two emails, there were different problems on syncing through my phone and accounts.
Now I'he made different email addresses for my personal and official use while others for crypto related sites.

Taskford

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Quote from: Lafu on November 03, 2019, 06:20:56 PM

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

For this event since the email is leaked I think it's not advisable really to use that eventhough we change the password on it and much better if we create a new separate email for exchange and for other extra curricular activities here so that we can assure that we are safe and maximize the security where our funds held on.

joshy23

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Quote from: nakamura12 on November 03, 2019, 06:13:34 PM

I think we are safe if the leaked information is only email addresses. Many people especially scammers are finding a way to get a list of email addresses so they can send whatever they want to send just to scam their victims. There is a thread about leaked email address right?. Use the site that hd49728 has given to check if your email is safe and change your password to make sure.

I agree to that if only email has been compromised but not to the extent that hackers already have the access. If only they've known your email from other account that you participated you can avoid receiving emails like this. But if hackers already have access to your account it's best to change your password or create new emails and start transferring all important information to your new one.

Lafu

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Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

nakamura12

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I think we are safe if the leaked information is only email addresses. Many people especially scammers are finding a way to get a list of email addresses so they can send whatever they want to send just to scam their victims. There is a thread about leaked email address right?. Use the site that hd49728 has given to check if your email is safe and change your password to make sure.

Saint-loup

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Quote from: khaled0111 on November 03, 2019, 05:07:16 PM

Quote from: mk4 on November 02, 2019, 11:44:12 AM

Hence why it's totally frowned upon to use exchanges that requires KYC, because the potential leaks could be a lot more destructive.

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

You're right, but Bitmex doesn't ask any KYC in fact. You just need to provide an email address to open an account and to trade whatever amount of money you want. So only your e-mail address is at risk there, no other personal information.

Lafu

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Quote from: khaled0111 on November 03, 2019, 05:07:16 PM

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

Today you cant be sure if your funds safe at bigger Excanges too .
We have seen that in the past and i have felt this 2 times now in the past and
i advice all that you just deposit so much coins what you want to trade and after that withdraw it back to your wallet.
But if personal Informations got leaked from exchanges its terrible.

khaled0111

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Quote from: mk4 on November 02, 2019, 11:44:12 AM

Hence why it's totally frowned upon to use exchanges that requires KYC, because the potential leaks could be a lot more destructive.

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

Febo

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Quote from: crwth on November 01, 2019, 02:47:22 PM

Quote from: Febo on November 01, 2019, 01:53:36 PM

It can happen everywhere. That is why is important you dont just throw your information's on everything. KYC only where you must. Register only where you must. Always use fresh passwords.

It depends if the site is reputable but at least it's just the emails. FYI, Bitmex doesn't ask for KYC, you know. And for the passwords, it's quite easy to handle that with a password manager.

I am talking in general. Do not just throw any of your information's everywhere. Not for some game bonus or anything so stupid. Be responsible and give your information out really if you must. Problem is that most people now think giving away his personal information's is normal. That George Orwell 1984 is totally normal. I find this a huge problem.

panganib999

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Quote from: crwth on November 01, 2019, 10:40:18 AM

It's kind of weird to receive it, I know it's not a scam because it shows a referral link, hopefully not a phishing one, but knowing that my information has been leaked, it made me feel uneasy with the exchange.

I hope people understand that sometimes it's not your fault that you get compromised. It's to be vigilant with your information also with regards to any suspicious links or emails of any kind. Be careful.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/breaking-bitmex-may-have-just-leaked-all-of-their-users-emails

We are all interconnected via internet, so there's always a possibility of information leakage. If you'll just study the internet deeply, you'll understand that anythung you put in the internet is available to the public regardless of the privacy settings that you have set in your account because simply being connected to the internet is connecting to the world through routers, we are networked to each others and will be linked using IP addresses, so what we could do now is being careful of the information you are about to put on the internet and the activities you'll engage your account within it.

Topic: Leaked information. Are we really safe at all? (Read 634 times)