So, wrap your head around this one: A website that is dedicated to allowing it's users to arrange extra-marital affairs has now been hacked and their database's ransacked for information. The hackers are demanding that the site that they see as 'disgusting' should be removed along with a couple others the site owns. Interestingly, the official reason given for the site's attack has been that the site charges for the deletion of obviously sensitive information. About $19 dollars, apparently. That is so you can cover your tracks but, apparently, the site doesn't wipe all data, only messages and an online profile. Your account, according to the hackers, remains in place. So, on one hand, a site that has been doing some seriously shady things has been bent over a barrel for all the world to see as it tries desperately to figure out how to get out of this. On the other hand, cyber terrorists have taken the law into their own hands and ransacked a company, resulting in thousands of people's lives becoming the collateral damage. Everyone seems to be a complete tool in this little story so, I'm not entirely sure where to come at this one from. What you you guys think? Links to Articles
I saw that on the news earlier, and whilst I'd tend to say anyone using such a site deserves what's coming to them, I suppose if they carried out their threat, a lot of innocent people would get hurt too; innocent spouses and children in suddenly-rocky relationships, ect. I had heard that other, similar sites hadn't been targeted, and that this deletion fee was a pivotal issue, but I'm still a little fuzzy on why it's an issue; do the hackers disapprove of the site allowing members to delete their information? Or disapprove of their charging for that service? Or is it the fact that not all the information is deleted? I suppose if it were the later, it would show outrage at sensitive data being misleadingly kept, and seeing as how they're threatening to release all that data, that seems unlikely.
I think it's the combination of charging for the deletion service and that not all the information is deleted. Probably. Although, I'd figure that encouraging affairs wouldn't help either.
Cyberhacking is no joke, but there are a few reasons I'm less than sympathetic to the site (Ashley Madison). 1. The obvious reason is that I don't appreciate the idea of extra-marital affairs. 2. Charging consumers for a service and then denying them the full service is a dirty tactic. 3. While the hackers busting the site seems to have hurt people, the site literally profited off of hurting people to begin with, so there's that. I'm not wholly sympathetic to the hackers, either, especially since it seems their motivations were a little strange, but on the whole I can't say I'm totally dissatisfied with the way things turned out either.
I'm in the same boat, honestly. This just seems like crappy things happening to crappier people by lunatics. Interesting story, it's rare you find something like this.
Good for the hackers. Cheaters are scum. You have to a special kind of depraved to live with and pretend to love someone while pursuing a relationship with someone else. Ashley Madison's owners are scum for encouraging and enabling such behavior. I hope everyone that registered for that horrible site gets exactly what they deserve.
Going to be honest here I believe that those hackers are doing the right thing (It may not be for the right reasons.) If it was up to me I would release all of the data straight off.
Apparently the identities of the people whose accounts were hacked are starting to get out. http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/massachusetts-man-exposed-in-ashley-madison-hack/ I'm kinda loving this. It's rare that you get to see bad things happen to bad people.
This is Divine Providence, it is a learning experience. It is said that sinners will be taken into bushels and bundles and burned, and that God's retribution will crash upon the unholy, and unbelievers, so that they might see the error of their ways, before it is everlasting too late.
