Facebook hackers didn't log into Instagram or any other app
Days after suffering from a massive data breach, Facebook finally has some good news on offer. In a recent update, the social media giant noted that the impact of its breach may not have permeated beyond the platform, as there's no evidence of Instagram or any third-party apps being accessed by the attackers. Here are the finer details.
The cause of worry: Facebook Login
When Facebook's data breach - affecting at least 50 million users - was first discovered, many raised alarms over the safety of services linked to the platform. Facebook has long been offering a quick login option, where people could use their Facebook accounts to log into third-party apps like Uber, Instagram. This indicated hackers may have also gained accessed to any of these services.
Facebook's confirmation on the case
However, after leading an investigation, Facebook confirmed that no external account was accessed this way. The company looked at "logs for all third-party apps installed or logged in during the attack" and didn't find any evidence of other breaches. Meaning, all those who were affected by Facebook breach don't have to worry about any other services being roped in as well.
Independent investigations also underway
Though Facebook's confirmation comes as a small sigh of relief, many external services that could have been affected by the breach are not taking the matter lightly either. Companies like SkyScanner, which provides travel services, and TaskRabbit, providing home-repair services, have launched their own independent investigations into the case. Meanwhile, Uber, which immediately closed Facebook-based active sessions, is also probing the incident.
Third-party app access in India
As many as 42,000 websites are estimated to use Facebook Login, including most web-based companies operating in India like ride-hailing giant Uber as well as companies like Zomato, Jabong, Saavn, and Myntra.
Problems still looming over Facebook
That said, the nature and scope of the breach affecting Facebook still remain unclear. The regulators monitoring the company's practices have already sought information to determine what information might have been accessed and how users might be affected by it. If it is proven that Facebook didn't do enough to ensure data protection, it may even have to pay $1.63 billion as fine.
