Confirmed Attack At Opera, 1.7M Password Leak Possible

As yet another example of hackers running amok, Opera was recently hit with a data breach that could have compromised login data of users. The internet browsing company has already taken steps to restore its previous levels of security, but some passwords may have been taken as a result.

In a blog post, Opera detailed what happened during the recent server breach, where a hacker managed to get past its cyber defenses. The breach was supposedly short-lived as the incident was quickly handled, according to the company.

“Earlier this week, we detected signs of an attack where access was gained to the Opera sync system,” the post reads. “This attack was quickly blocked. Our investigations are ongoing, but we believe some data, including some of our sync users’ passwords and account information, such as login names, may have been compromised.”

Opera had already sent out emails to users to urge them to change their passwords. Meanwhile, the company refuses to share the details as to where exactly the passwords were stored. As ZDNet notes, the company already assures users that the passwords were scrambled so that they will no longer be usable, but there is no guarantee that they are completely safe.

Opera’s refusal to share information regarding the specific location where the passwords are stored is understandable as it may simply help the attacker. Unfortunately, this also leaves the matter in doubt as to how safe users are now.

Then again, this may not be that big of a problem in the first place since the breach only affects users who are on the password sync program. As Engadget reports, these users number in only 1.7 million, as opposed to the 350 million that make up the bulk of Opera’s main users. Still, incidents like this are clear examples of how bold hackers are becoming in what or who they target.