Symantec: Company database of emails and phone numbers leaked

One of the first high-profile websites to have its confidential data leaked is computer security company Symantec. A Pastebin file shows a long list of employees’ emails, passwords and phone numbers leaked, alongside other information leaked from image hosting website Imageshack. As of press time, the Pastebin file has been taken down.

Although several media reports attributed the Symantec takedown to Anonymous, it was later discovered that the main hacker responsible went by the pseudonym HTP on Twitter. HTP has denied any affiliation with Anonymous. Although Symantec spokesman Mike Bradshaw affirmed that no evidence stated that customer data was leaked, he could not officially confirm if employee data has been jeopardised.

Reports indicated that the hack was caused by a zero-day exploit, which is an attempt to attack a system’s previously unknown security lapse. The zero-day term refers to the fact that developers have had no days to fix the vulnerability once it is known.