City of Joburg Hacking Hackers

Photo: Fle

MyFitnessPal: App confirms there has been a data breach… here’s what you need to do

Popular calorie tracking app, MyFitnessPal, confirmed that there has been a data breach in which sensitive information of their users was compromised.

City of Joburg Hacking Hackers

Photo: Fle

If you’re a fan of the MyFitnessPal app – the nifty application that helps users track their calories to aid weight loss – you might want to change your password.

MyFitnessPal have confirmed that they encountered a data breach in February this year where an “unauthorized party acquired data associated with MyFitnessPal user accounts.

The affected information included usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords – the majority with the hashing function called bcrypt used to secure passwords. ”

MyFitnessPal says it “quickly took steps” to determine the nature of the data breach and are currently working with “leading data security firms to assist in our investigation” and are “coordinating with law enforcement authorities”.

If you use the app – or the online version – it is recommended that you do the following:

  • Change your password for any other account on which you used the same or similar information used for your MyFitnessPal account.
  • Review your accounts for suspicious activity.
  • Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal data or refer you to a web page asking for personal data.
  • Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.

General online safety tips

Keeping data safe online is becoming a bigger challenge with large data breaches becoming common.

  1. Create complex passwords
  2. Boost your network security
  3. Use a Firewall.
  4. Be a selective sharer
  5. Be wary of authorising third-party apps
  6. Protect your mobile, too
  7. Practice safe surfing and shopping