If only one account is hacked and nobody knows about it, is it still a cyberattack? Spotify certainly thinks so. If one user’s information is compromised, that means all users are at risk. Immediately after realizing that one user’s account was hacked, Spotify alerted its users, issued an update, and allayed concerns about the teeny tiny breach.
Spotify reacted very quickly to nip the problem in the bud before the vulnerability was exploited to hack into more users’ accounts. The music-streaming service alerted the affected user quickly after the incident occurred. Luckily, Spotify says that the user’s password, financial information, and other sensitive personal data remained private during the hack. Although the company didn’t find any evidence that other users were at a higher risk in light of the small attack, it decided to take action.
Spotify told its 40 million active users about the breach in a blog post. The company said that users should change their passwords and that they would soon be prompted to sign back into their accounts as a precaution. Spotify also encouraged users of the Android app to install the new software update when asked in the coming days. It seems that users of the iOS and Windows Phone apps are safe from a similar attack, as only the Android app will receive an update. All the facts and frequently asked questions about the hack are available on Spotify’s website.
The new version of the app should protect Android users from future attacks, but it will require users to download all of their offline playlists again once the update is installed. Although this may be a huge nuisance for some users, Spotify believes in the old adage that an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.
