Official ID Pictures of Seventy Thousand Members Potentially Were Compromised, Discord Says
Discord, a messaging platform favored among gaming communities, says that verified identity pictures of around 70,000 users have potentially been leaked in the wake of a digital security breach.
Partner Company Attacked
The service, which has in excess of 200 million users globally, confirms that digital intruders had compromised a company that assisted in confirming the age verification of its members but Discord's own systems was not breached.
Users can upload official pictures to verify their age on Discord - a social space for players to communicate and exchange content with other members in the gaming community.
Scope of Data Exposure
The leaked data may involve private data, fragmentary financial data and communications that were shared with the company's help desk staff.
No full credit card details, login credentials, or correspondence and platform usage beyond conversations with Discord's service team were exposed, the company said.
Remedial Steps
All impacted users have been contacted and Discord is working with law enforcement to examine the incident, it stated further.
The company reported it has withdrawn the customer support provider's access to the platform that was affected by the intrusion. Discord chose not to specify the third-party company affected.
Divergent Reports
Some internet observers have alleged that the data breach was more extensive than Discord has revealed.
A representative for Discord stated that those assertions are inaccurate and "represent a scheme to extort payment" from the company.
"We refuse to compensate those behind their illegal actions," the company official further stated.
Significance of Private Information
Online intruders frequently target private information, which can command a high price on the illegal marketplace for application for deceptive practices.
Details including full names and official ID numbers is particularly prized because, different from credit card details, it typically remains unchanged through the years.
Previous Security Steps
Discord has previously enhanced its age confirmation procedures in answer to worries that particular communities on the application were being utilized to circulate adult content and radical materials.
- Approximately 70,000 users compromised
- Partner authentication service provider compromised
- Incomplete payment data could be compromised
- Customer service messages could have been obtained
- Authorities participating in investigation
