Leaked information. Are we really safe at all?

[truongtheanhc3]

I really feel worried about my information on trading platforms and places that require identification. However, similar stories have occurred in many different platforms, even a large trading platform, Binance, has been accused of leaking user information.

[mk4]

I really feel worried about my information on trading platforms and places that require identification.

Hence why it's totally frowned upon to use exchanges that requires KYC, because the potential leaks could be a lot more destructive. Fortunately with this leak, it wasn't THAT devastating(though still very unfortunate).

Do your part and try out non-custodial wallets like Bisq[1] and Hodl Hodl[2].

[1] https://bisq.network/
[2] https://hodlhodl.com/

[hd49728]

Only email leaks don't put Bitmex users under losses. Because of people who have access to Bitmex's user email leak don't have access to those emails. What they can do is sending phising things to those email addresses if they want.

Hence, if users are aware of the news, and be careful when using their emails: don't click on links send by strange emails or from familiar emails but if contents or links are strange; they will be safe.

Furthermore, they can change their email passwords, and it is time for them to remind that they use that email for how many accounts on exchanges and other services, and whether they use same passwords over exchanges & services. If they use same passwords, it's time to change as soon as possible.

The news is bad for Bitmex's reputation but not too bad for their users, IMO.

People can check their email status there: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Regarding to email security, you can use the following site: https://haveibeenpwned.com/
It is very simple to use: Typing your email address, then enter to see it has already been compromised or not. In case your email has been already compromised, it's your turn to reset your password and consider to enhance security and privacy for your email.
There are two types of results:
1. Bad: pwned!

Oh no — pwned!
Pwned on X breached sites and found no pastes (subscribe to search sensitive breaches)

2. Good: no pwnage found!

Good news — no pwnage found!
No breached accounts and no pastes (subscribe to search sensitive breaches)

You should take action as quickly as possible if your email checking result fall into the first type.

[panganib999]

It's kind of weird to receive it, I know it's not a scam because it shows a referral link, hopefully not a phishing one, but knowing that my information has been leaked, it made me feel uneasy with the exchange.

I hope people understand that sometimes it's not your fault that you get compromised. It's to be vigilant with your information also with regards to any suspicious links or emails of any kind. Be careful.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/breaking-bitmex-may-have-just-leaked-all-of-their-users-emails

We are all interconnected via internet, so there's always a possibility of information leakage. If you'll just study the internet deeply, you'll understand that anythung you put in the internet is available to the public regardless of the privacy settings that you have set in your account because simply being connected to the internet is connecting to the world through routers, we are networked to each others and will be linked using IP addresses, so what we could do now is being careful of the information you are about to put on the internet and the activities you'll engage your account within it.

[Febo]

It can happen everywhere. That is why is important you dont just throw your information's on everything. KYC only where you must. Register only where you must. Always use fresh passwords.

It depends if the site is reputable but at least it's just the emails. FYI, Bitmex doesn't ask for KYC, you know. And for the passwords, it's quite easy to handle that with a password manager.

I am talking in general. Do not just throw any of your information's everywhere. Not for some game bonus or anything so stupid. Be responsible and give your information out really if you must. Problem is that most people now think giving away his personal information's is normal. That George Orwell 1984 is totally normal. I find this a huge problem.

[khaled0111]

Hence why it's totally frowned upon to use exchanges that requires KYC, because the potential leaks could be a lot more destructive.

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

[Lafu]

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

Today you cant be sure if your funds safe at bigger Excanges too .
We have seen that in the past and i have felt this 2 times now in the past and
i advice all that you just deposit so much coins what you want to trade and after that withdraw it back to your wallet.
But if personal Informations got leaked from exchanges its terrible.

[Saint-loup]

Hence why it's totally frowned upon to use exchanges that requires KYC, because the potential leaks could be a lot more destructive.

the problem is that most reputable exchanges require kyc. You have to verify your identity especially when withdrawing big amounts of money.
Exchanges that do not ask for identity verification usually have small trading volume and you can't be sure if your funds are safe with them or not.

You're right, but Bitmex doesn't ask any KYC in fact. You just need to provide an email address to open an account and to trade whatever amount of money you want. So only your e-mail address is at risk there, no other personal information.

[nakamura12]

I think we are safe if the leaked information is only email addresses. Many people especially scammers are finding a way to get a list of email addresses so they can send whatever they want to send just to scam their victims. There is a thread about leaked email address right?. Use the site that hd49728 has given to check if your email is safe and change your password to make sure.

[Lafu]

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

[joshy23]

I think we are safe if the leaked information is only email addresses. Many people especially scammers are finding a way to get a list of email addresses so they can send whatever they want to send just to scam their victims. There is a thread about leaked email address right?. Use the site that hd49728 has given to check if your email is safe and change your password to make sure.

I agree to that if only email has been compromised but not to the extent that hackers already have the access. If only they've known your email from other account that you participated you can avoid receiving emails like this. But if hackers already have access to your account it's best to change your password or create new emails and start transferring all important information to your new one.

[Taskford]

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

For this event since the email is leaked I think it's not advisable really to use that eventhough we change the password on it and much better if we create a new separate email for exchange and for other extra curricular activities here so that we can assure that we are safe and maximize the security where our funds held on.

[tsaroz]

Don't want to remember it but my email was leaked through this forum. And there were so much bruteforce attack on several of my accounts in different sites. I used to join every site with the single email and that leak made me change email on every sites. With two emails, there were different problems on syncing through my phone and accounts.
Now I'he made different email addresses for my personal and official use while others for crypto related sites.

[Velkro]

Just fyi, only the email addresses themselves are leaked. So you should be left unaffected(security wise) if you didn't do something so careless like having the same passwords with other accounts.

Which is most common mistake people make.
This is reason one hack could lead to much much much more damage than it should.
Security should be first learning topic by bitcoin users.

[Saint-loup]

Don't want to remember it but my email was leaked through this forum. And there were so much bruteforce attack on several of my accounts in different sites. I used to join every site with the single email and that leak made me change email on every sites. With two emails, there were different problems on syncing through my phone and accounts.
Now I'he made different email addresses for my personal and official use while others for crypto related sites.

My bitmex email had been leaked through this so called bug. And for the moment there hasn't been one single attempt to log in my Bitmex account.

BTW it seems you can ask Bitmex support for changing your email address if it had been leaked.

BitMEX Support (contact here) is working shifts with extra agents, continuing to handle customer requests to change email addresses, answer questions, and provide security assessment and advice.

https://blog.bitmex.com/email-privacy-issue-what-is-happening-and-how-can-we-help/

[darkangel11]

Once a email is leaked or involved in something like that i dont would trust the email anymore and try to get a new one !
Maybe try to get one email for one Exchange and not for many so the chance is less that other things get hacked maybe or some more damage coming !

You're overdoing it. People voluntarily put their emails in giveaways, newsletters, bounty campaigns, along with their facebook and twitter accounts. It's not like leaked email is going to get you hacked.

There are some golden rules you should follow regardless of whether you're posting your emails at various sites and forums or not.
You should never open attachments and you never answer emails from random people. Don't click links and stuff that you receive in email unless you're expecting something from a service you've just registered in or someone that you know.

[AverageGlabella]

If you want to be super overly paranoid then you might as well assume as soon as there is another third party involved your data has already been compromised. This could be from leaks or this could be from employees seeing that data by routinely reviewing it.

Realistically you can never protect your data 100% because at some point you will need to involve a third party in whatever sector of your life. Bitcoin data with the KYC requirements and the increasing amount of laws being put in place for Bitcoin will mean data will need to be submitted if you are to ever exchange Bitcoin.

[tbct_mt2]

If you want to be super overly paranoid then you might as well assume as soon as there is another third party involved your data has already been compromised. This could be from leaks or this could be from employees seeing that data by routinely reviewing it.

Realistically you can never protect your data 100% because at some point you will need to involve a third party in whatever sector of your life. Bitcoin data with the KYC requirements and the increasing amount of laws being put in place for Bitcoin will mean data will need to be submitted if you are to ever exchange Bitcoin.

When personal identities uploaded on online environments, it does not matter who or which ones store that data, from governments to exchanges, there are higher risks to lose our identities that in turn will be likely compromised for bad and shady purposes, not only financial compromises but also other things.

When KYCs first required mandatorily on some big exchanges, people were paranoid but they turned into more familiar with KYCs. I believe that months or years later when KYCs are one of prerequisites to be eligble using crypto exchanges, people will not paranoid about that. Third-party or not, there are also risks with KYCs, in my opinion.

At current period, we have options to choose KYC-required exchanges or KYC-free exchanges but in the future I don't think we will have such KYC-freedom.

[LbtalkL]

These websites and programs are made by person so it can be hacked or infiltrated by a person too. We are not really safe that is why I am not comfortable uploading sensitive data like KYC details. Cryptocurrency is meant to be anonymous and free but I guess it is needed enable to work with regulations.

[Kakmakr]

This is just an opportunist seeing an opportunity to spam his referral link and nothing for you to worry about. Some exchanges offer small rewards for people who refer other people to their platform, so these users will use every opportunity to spam that referral link, without people noticing it.

I am not sure if Bitmex has some reward program in place for referrals, because I am not registered on their site. I doubt if I would ever sign up with them after what has happened.    Edit : https://www.bitmex.com/app/affiliates <-- Now I am sure.  

The Golden rule --> Never click on links provided to you in unsolicited emails.