A report by internet security company McAfee has left Netflix users feeling concerned after it revealed a wide scale problem with account login information being sold on the Dark Web or published on the internet for anyone to see.
The report by McAfee, The Hidden Data Economy, outlined how hackers on the Dark Web trade in a variety of stolen data from credit card information, loyalty scheme points and Netflix logins - and they’re selling for as little as 50 US cents.
Though most internet users are aware of the associated risks with conducting so much of our lives online, it is understandable that Netflix users may be alarmed to learn of this breach. However, it’s a relief to know that detecting whether your Netflix account has been hacked is quite easy and simple enough to remedy.
A quick way to check if someone has been accessing your login details is by looking at the “Recently Watched” section on the Netflix home page. If you notice any strange titles that you know you haven’t been watching listed here then this could indicate that your account has been hacked.
This was how Rachel Pick, a contributor at Motherboard, first uncovered the Netflix hack.
She writes: “Once someone gets inside your Netflix account, there’s not a ton they can do aside from binge watch some Family Guy, because your credit card info is obscured by the site. The real danger lies in if you use your Netflix password for a bunch of other stuff too. In that case, anyone enterprising enough could do some real damage”.
So if you suspect you’re Netflix account has been accessed by someone who isn’t you, head to haveibeenpwned.com. By entering your email address or username, this site can tell whether your details have been leaked – it will check your details against a huge database of past leaks (like the recent Ashley Madison and VTech leaks).
Of course, even if it returns no matches, this is not a guarantee that your details have not been leaked. So even if everything looks okay, it’s a good idea to change your password – and if you use the same password for other things, it’s probably wise to change those, too.
To be completely assured that an authorised party can no longer access your Netflix account, visit the 'Account' page, scroll down to 'Settings' and click 'Sign out of all devices'. By doing this, you will end all active sessions on any device your account is logged in on. Now change your password and sign back in. If someone has paid for your stolen Netflix login, those details are now rendered useless and they can no longer access your account.
Netflix has made headlines regarding this breach but the problem is not exclusive to them. Consider taking these steps for other sites, too. Most will have a similar option to “End all sessions” or “Sign out of all devices” and this is an effective way to kick out hackers.
Most of us are guilty of complacency when it comes to online security, but with so much of our day to day lives reliant on using the internet, it has never been more important to ensure that all our data is secure. It’s comforting to know that with a few simple steps, it is possible to put off hackers.
