Dating sites and apps are very popular among the younger audience, and it is very normal for people to share their details on such a platform. These details help to find the perfect matching partner for the users. These dating sites have millions of users, which means that there is personal data of millions of customers stored on the company’s servers. With so much data on company servers, it is more prone to cyber-attacks and hackers; there have been many cyberattacks on dating websites.
A recent report from Checkpoint Research has announced that dating website OKCupid’s website and mobile app has severe security vulnerabilities which could allow a hacker to easily access the full profile details of the users, along with their message, address and other contact details. Using the profile details, hackers can even send messages to other users.
Using these accounts, the hackers can send malicious links to other users, which, when clicked, will give full access to the system to the hacker and can lead them to hack the accounts. OKCupid’s users do not have to worry as their developers have resolved the issues in 48 hours after the security flaw was reported to them by CheckPoint. There has been no information on any account being hacked or the data being leaked.
Although any serious threat was avoided, it does bring a question of whether it is safe to provide personal information on any dating website. A single hack can leak all your personal information along with your photos and contact details. In a similar case, OkCupid was accused of sending user data on drug use, ethnicity, and political views. Whenever you share your personal information, make sure you know where the information will be shared and how it will be protected.