Twitch Warns Of Potential Security Breach: Passwords, Some Credit Card Details And User Info At Risk

Videogame streaming website, Twitch has issued a statement warning users of a potential hack. In order to protect accounts from the potential security breach, the company has automatically reset all user passwords and stream keys, and disconnected user accounts from both Twitter and YouTube.

“For your protection, we have expired passwords and stream keys and have disconnected accounts from Twitter and YouTube. As a result, you will be prompted to create a new password the next time you attempt to log into your Twitch account,” reads the notice on the official Twitch Blog.

Users logging into Twitch after the hack are met with a password prompt, which sends a password reset link to their associated email account. The notice goes on to recommend that users change their current Twitch passwords immediately, as well as the passwords of any websites using the same or similar passwords.

As reported by Gamespot, user information, including Twitch usernames, associated email addresses, passwords last-known IP’s may have been compromised by the hack. Twitch states that password information was cryptographically protected, but any additional information users provided on their Twitch profiles, such as first and last name, phone number, address and date of birth could also have been accessed.

GamesBeat, however, received a different support email from Twitch, warning that limited credit card information may also be at risk as a result of the security breach. Specifically, the email warns that card type, truncated card numbers and the card expiration dates may have been accessed. This email further states that while passwords were cryptographically protected, it’s possible that they were captured in clear text by malicious code during the user’s last login.

As noted by Business Insider, Twitch was purchased by e-commerce giant, Amazon in 2014 for the sum of $790M. The streaming website, which has more than 55 million registered users, comes in behind Netflix, Apple and Google in terms of peak internet traffic in the U.S., and 43 percent of all live video streaming traffic by volume.

(Credit: YouTube/Machinima)

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