Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) found a list of email addresses and passwords posted online. Since Sept. 30, the online juggernaut has been sending out notices to customers asking them to change their passwords. The leak was not Amazon-related, but the tech titan says that many of its users probably have the same passwords for multiple accounts.
Amazon.com, Inc. Being Proactive in Reset Emails
Amazon regularly scans the Internet for any leaks of email addresses and passwords. The website recently came across a large list of emails and passwords. And many of these emails and passwords belonged to Amazon account holders.
To circumvent any future problems, Amazon sent out password reset emails to those users. It requested that they change their emails to avoid issues down the line. Also, in the meantime, the tech behemoth assigned temporary passwords to targeted accounts.
Here is what Amazon wrote in its email notice:
“As part of our routine monitoring, we discovered a list of email addresses and passwords posted online. While the list was not Amazon-related, we know that many customers reuse their passwords on multiple websites. Since we believe your email addresses and passwords were on the list, we have assigned a temporary password to your Amazon.com account out of an abundance of caution.”
This email notice comes a couple months after it was a reported a hacker claimed to have leaked 80,000 Amazon account credentials. In that same month, another hacker was discovered to sell a database from that had data on Amazon Marketplace.
It’s unclear at this time if the leak is related to the July hack. Amazon has since denied the reports.
Moving forward, Amazon suggests users to adopt its Two-Step Verification. It requires you to enter a security code and then a password. This helps you add another layer of security to your account.
Amazon.com, Inc’s History With Hacks
For the most part, Amazon has been one of the securest websites on the Internet. Though, there have been hiccups from time to time over the years.
In addition to July’s reported hack, Amazon has been the victim of several other hacks.
In 2009, for instance, a hacker claimed he had access to former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs’s Amazon account. He wanted to sell the account details to journalists who were willing to pay for it.
In January 2015, Amazon experienced the theft of customer user names, passwords and apparently credit card information. This led to a public relations nightmare for Jeff Bezos and Co.
“As part of this effort, Amazon must put into motion changes in its security scheme to better ensure the protection of customer data, wrote Ronn Torossian is a Public Relations Executive and CEO of 5W Public Relations early last year.
“Whatever changes the company makes must be explained in an easily understandable manner to the public at large. Although it is unclear how many people are avoiding Amazon in the aftermath of this incident, there naturally are consumers who are making such a response. No matter the number, the company must better its system security and reassure the public quickly and effectively — and publicly.”
Late last year, many believed that Amazon suffered a security breach. Much like what it did recently, Amazon issued password reset emails. It was a report that flew under the radar.
Unlike other big brands and retail giants, Amazon has maintained an admirable record.
