Zoosk (2011)
What Happened
In approximately 2011, an alleged breach of the dating website Zoosk began circulating. Comprised of almost 53 million records, the data contained email addresses and plain text passwords. However, during extensive verification in May 2016 no evidence could be found that the data was indeed sourced from the dating service. This breach has consequently been flagged as fabricated; it's highly unlikely the data was sourced from Zoosk.
Compromised Data
Recommended Actions
Change Your Password
If you haven't changed your password on this service since the breach, do so immediately.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
If 2FA is supported, add an extra layer of security to your account.
Check Other Accounts
If you used the same password elsewhere, change those too.
Monitor for Suspicious Activity
Watch for unusual login attempts, spam and phishing emails.
Breach Overview
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Affected Accounts:
52.6 million
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Breach Occurred:
January 2011
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Added to HIBP:
8 Feb 2017
Breach Classification
Some breaches may be flagged as "unverified". In these cases, whilst there is legitimate data within the alleged breach, it may not have been possible to establish legitimacy beyond reasonable doubt.
Unverified breaches are still included in the system because regardless of their legitimacy, they still contain personal information about individuals who want to understand their exposure on the web.
Some breaches may be flagged as "fabricated". In these cases, it is highly unlikely that the breach contains legitimate data sourced from the alleged site but it may still be sold or traded under the auspices of legitimacy.
Often these incidents are comprised of data aggregated from other locations (or may be entirely fabricated), yet still contain actual email addresses unbeknownst to the account holder.
HIBP enables you to discover if your account was exposed in most of the data breaches by directly searching the system. However, certain breaches are particularly sensitive in that someone's presence in the breach may adversely impact them if others are able to find that they were a member of the site.
A sensitive data breach can only be searched by the verified owner of the email address being searched for. This is done via the notification system which involves sending a verification email to the address with a unique link.
There are presently 74 sensitive breaches in the system including Adult FriendFinder, Ashley Madison, and others.
Recommended Actions
Change Your Password
If you haven't changed your Zoosk (2011) password since 2011, do so immediately.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Add an extra layer of security to your account.
Check Other Accounts
If you used the same password elsewhere, change those too.
Monitor for Suspicious Activity
Watch for unusual login attempts or messages from your account.
