**Flickr Confirms Data Breach: Users' Private Info May Have Been Affected**
Flickr, the popular image-sharing website, has confirmed that it has suffered a third-party cyberattack in which sensitive data on an undisclosed number of customers may have been compromised.
The attack, which took place on February 5, was spotted within hours and was attributed to an unnamed third-party email service provider. The hackers were quickly ousted, the vulnerable endpoint isolated, and further access barred. Relevant authorities and data protection watchdogs, as well as customers, have been notified of the incident.
In an email notification sent to its customers, Flickr stated that it is conducting a thorough review and strengthening its security practices with third-party providers. The company also notified the relevant data protection authorities, including European and US data protection regulators.
The stolen data includes names, email addresses, usernames, account types, IP addresses, and general locations of affected users. However, passwords and financial data were not obtained in the breach, according to Flickr. The company warned its customers of incoming email messages, especially those claiming to be from Flickr, and advised them to exercise caution when opening such emails.
The exact set of data that was compromised varies from person to person, but users can expect to receive an email with more information on the affected data. Flickr also shared links to European and US data protection authorities in the notification, which suggests that the hack may have affected multiple regions.
Flickr's global reach is vast, with over 35 million monthly users across 190 countries. While no threat actors have claimed responsibility for the attack yet, and the stolen data is not being advertised on the dark web, cybercriminals can use the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) to launch customized phishing attacks.
For example, hackers may claim that Flickr is looking to suspend a user's account until a payment is made or until payment details are "confirmed", tricking users into sharing sensitive information. Therefore, users should be extra careful when opening incoming email messages from unknown senders and report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
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