Zendesk hack points to overall vulnerability on the Web
Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr have notified their users of a security breach from Zendesk, the customer-software provider that handles their support questions. The breach may confirm a need for tougher security standards for websites and applications.
Pinterest was one of the websites affected by the Zendesk security breach. A small percentage of Pinterest users were notified that their correspondences with support services were accessed by a hacker.
Zendesk is the latest victim of hacking, which means that Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr are also the latest victims of hacking.
The customer-software provider, which organizes support inquiries from the social media sites, notified its customers of a security breach this week. A hacker accessed the system and downloaded emails from users who have contacted the social media sites’ support departments, according to the Zendesk blog.
“We are also completely committed to working with authorities to bring anyone involved to justice and make certain we fully understand what happened,” Zendesk says on its blog. “As this process unfolds, we aim to update our customers in as transparent and timely a manner as possible about the new developments.
A Tumblr spokeswoman said in a statement that the security breach exposed e-mail addresses and subject lines, which may have noted the users’ Tumblr blog address. Those who may be affected are encouraged to review their correspondence with Tumblr’s support addresses: support@tumblr.com, abuse@tumblr.com, dmca@tumblr.com, legal@tumblr.com, enquiries@tumblr.com, and lawenforcement@tumblr.com.
“Your safety is our highest priority," the Tumblr statement reads. "We’re working with law enforcement and Zendesk to better understand this attack."
Pinterest and Twitter also contacted users who may have been affected by the breach, warning them to not give password information and to notify them of any issues, according to their statements.
Twitter posted account security tips on its blog Tuesday, reminding its users to have strong passwords and be wary of suspicious links and information requests.
