Snapchat Data Breach

What Happened

In January 2014 just one week after Gibson Security detailed vulnerabilities in the service, Snapchat had 4.6 million usernames and phone number exposed. The attack involved brute force enumeration of a large number of phone numbers against the Snapchat API in what appears to be a response to Snapchat's assertion that such an attack was "theoretical". Consequently, the breach enabled individual usernames (which are often used across other services) to be resolved to phone numbers which users usually wish to keep private.

Compromised Data

Geographic locations
Phone numbers
Usernames

Recommended Actions

Sponsored
Aura

Get Aura for identity theft and credit protection. Keep your assets safe with fast fraud alerts, instant credit lock, and $1,000,000 identity theft insurance. Speak to a U.S. based fraud specialist 24/7.

Try Aura
Sponsored
Guardio

Get Guardio for real-time protection after a breach. Guardio blocks AI-generated scam sites, fake login pages, and malicious pages designed to exploit leaked information. Built by cybersecurity specialists who track new threats 24/7, Guardio gives you immediate, expert-level protection plus clear steps to help you secure your accounts instantly.

Try Guardio
Sponsored
1Password

Use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. 1Password helps protect your data with industry-leading security.

Try 1Password

Breach Overview

  • Affected Accounts:

    4.6 million

  • Breach Occurred:

    January 2014

  • Added to HIBP:

    2 Jan 2014

Recommended Actions

Change Your Password

If you haven’t already changed the password affected by this breach, do so immediately on every account where it was used.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Wherever 2FA is supported, add an extra layer of security to your account.

Sponsored
Guardio

Get Guardio for real-time protection after a breach. Guardio blocks AI-generated scam sites, fake login pages, and malicious pages designed to exploit leaked information. Built by cybersecurity specialists who track new threats 24/7, Guardio gives you immediate, expert-level protection plus clear steps to help you secure your accounts instantly.

Try Guardio
Sponsored
Aura

Get Aura for identity theft and credit protection. Keep your assets safe with fast fraud alerts, instant credit lock, and $1,000,000 identity theft insurance. Speak to a U.S. based fraud specialist 24/7.

Try Aura
Sponsored
1Password

Use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. 1Password helps protect your data with industry-leading security.

Try 1Password