• Los Angeles Times, Thursday, June 7, 2012 11:53 AM

In the wake of a similar security breach at LinkedIn, eHarmony is the latest victim of a password hacking attack, which has so far resulted in 1.5 million stolen passwords -- most of which have already been “cracked.” Reports suggest that the lists only contain passwords and not actual logins, which would make the passwords useless even if cracked.

“But in all likelihood, the hacker also has the logins,” writes the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, the attack is believed to be by the same hacker who just stole 6.5 million passwords from LinkedIn. The bigger question, however, is the degree to which these security breaks will damage both brands, and discourage consumers from using their services. Last year, for example, Sony suffered over a dozen data breaches, stemming from attacks that compromised Sony PlayStation Network, Sony Online Entertainment, and Sony Pictures, among other Sony-owned Web sites.

Ultimately, the brand is understood to have faced an ongoing customer relations fallout -- as well as class-action lawsuits -- over its failure to protect over 100 million user records. As of Thursday, eHarmony has confirmed that some of its passwords have been stolen.

Read the whole story at Los Angeles Times »