Experts warn Twitch users following massive hacking

By Rabab Zehra, Executive Editor

Information security experts in the Middle East have warned the users of Amazon-owned gaming platform Twitch of privacy intrusion following the massive hacking and data leakage of the platform’s nearly complete digital footprint.

“(It) can still be much worse. A lot more damage now in store for Twitch. While yet (it is) unclear how the breach happened, it’s already harming Twitch on all the fronts that count – revenue, operations, users, influencers, market positioning. The leaked data could contain nearly the full digital footprint of Twitch, making it one of the most severe data breaches of late,” Candid Wuest, Acronis VP of Cyber Protection Research, told TECHx Media.

On Wednesday, Twitch confirmed that it had been hacked, which experts called a “highly targeted attack”. Video games news platform Video Games Chronicle first reported the massive breach, saying the hacking has revealed “a large trove of sensitive data, including Twitch’s entire source code and several years of payout information on the service’s most popular streamers”.

The Guardian quoted Archie Agarwal, founder, and CEO of New Jersey-based cybersecurity firm ThreatModeler, that the hack would “send a shudder down any hardened infosec professional”.

Twitch said its experts are working on it to take stock of the extent of the damage. The hacker has already leaked 125 GB of data on the online forum 4chan, and said the hacking was to “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space”, according toVideo Games Chronicle.

“The 125 GB of data leaked so far might just be the start. Internal network plans and marketing plans for future products could now be misused by attackers or sold to competitors. If the source code is exposed, we will see a spike in vulnerabilities discovered in related software. Having access to the source code makes it easy to find weak spots,” said Wuest.

“Releasing payout reports for streaming clients will not make the influencers happy either – dozens of Twitch streamers seem to have been paid over $1 million each over time. For the users, an immediate password change and enabling of two-factor authentication are a must,” he said.

Ram Narayanan, Country Manager, Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East, has recommended that all Twitch users to be cautious as cyber attacks are on the rise.

“Anytime source code gets leaked it’s not good and potentially disastrous. It opens a gigantic door for evil doers to find cracks in the system, lace malware, and potentially steal sensitive information. For October’s Cyber Security Awareness month, Check Point Research documented a 40% increase in cyber attacks this year, compared to 2020. We recommend Twitch users change their passwords and enable two-factor authentication on accounts,” he told TECHx Media.

Twitch has more than 51 million users around the world, and according to advertising analysts online queries for “how to delete Twitch” erupted to 733% on Wednesday.