# Ashley Madison data breach - You going to check? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230 "2015-08-19T00:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/21 "2015-08-19T15:58:59Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > That’s also true with Match and OKCupid. No doubt. They were very easy to spot on Match. I don’t know how useful looking at the data would be. I think people are mostly identified by email address only. Only an idiot wouldn’t use a burner email address for this. Counterpoint: one of the interesting things that articles are posting is that 15,000 of the emails can from .mil or .gov accounts which can easily be traced back to the user and are obvious breeches in terms of use for government and military accounts. I don’t know about .gov but for the military your email address has to be your name. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/22 "2015-08-19T16:02:51Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Also the data will be flimsy at best because there was no verification process to sign up by email. Anyone could be on that list! Which is going to be the excuse of a lot of husbands! ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/23 "2015-08-19T16:09:21Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I read an article about this that I’m fairly sure was written by an AM subscriber. He suspects that because the AM list was released to the “dark web,” whatever version of it you find will have been tampered with and will infect your machine with a virus. Also the data will be flimsy at best because there was no verification process to sign up by email. Anyone could be on that list! Really, no email verification at all? I can’t remember signing up for any online account without a “click this link we email to you to verify your email address”. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/24 "2015-08-19T16:11:08Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I think we can all agree that this was just a drive by thread shitting. I think I can agree that this is junior modding. Cut it out. As for the post you are commenting on, no I don’t think it is threadshitting. OP asked a question which could either be answered yes or no. There is nothing wrong with answering no and expounding on why. The tone of the reply may have seemed to be little self-righteous to some. I can understand that and also see no problem with some of the replies to that post. But lets not make this into a hijack about the benefits or problems with polyamorous relationships or about the attitude of a poster. If anyone has a problem with the comment by **Lucretia** or any other poster take it to the Pit. If you want to start a discussion about open relationships go right ahead in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/25 "2015-08-19T17:36:51Z")
No. If anyone else checks, and tells me s/he found my spouses name, I will assume it was an identity theft or possible general research. I will assume any list I am made aware of is a falsified list intended for use in blackmail. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/26 "2015-08-19T18:25:04Z")
I used [this site](https://ashley.cynic.al/) this morning to input one ex boyfriend’s email address. As far as I know there’s nothing malicious on the page. There’s a Google Analytics script for tracking (like 99% of all other websites uses) and some bulk javascript libraries that are very common. I got the URL[from this Buzzfeed article](http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellencushing/i-talked-to-my-cheating-ex-after-finding-his-email-in-the-as#.lb229xj44) where the writer looks up and finds her ex’s email address and writes the most boring article ever about it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/27 "2015-08-19T18:31:16Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The tone of the reply may have seemed to be little self-righteous to some. I can understand that and also see no problem with some of the replies to that post. The tone of the reply was, actually, self righteous, not to mention snotty, and I apologize for it, I should have worded it differently. I also see no problems with some of the replies, and I appreciate being called on my tone. ---
**Author:** ![Construct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Construct](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Construct)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/28 "2015-08-19T18:41:58Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I read an article about this that I’m fairly sure was written by an AM subscriber. He suspects that because the AM list was released to the “dark web,” whatever version of it you find will have been tampered with and will infect your machine with a virus. Also the data will be flimsy at best because there was no verification process to sign up by email. Anyone could be on that list! This seems like the desperate wrangling of someone who knows his life is about to be ruined. The file doesn’t contain any viruses–you can see what files it contains before it downloads. The data is not necessarily flimsy, because advanced users can cross reference credit card records with email records. If someone made a payment to Ashley Madison, that will be associated with their email address and provide near-certain proof that the person was genuinely using their account. The file also contains a hash designed to prove that no one (apart from the creators) could have tampered with it. And [reliable sources](http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/08/was-the-ashley-madison-database-leaked/) indicate that the data leaked was legitimate. I expect hackers to start mass emailing users within a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/29 "2015-08-19T19:56:17Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > The tone of the reply was, actually, self righteous, not to mention snotty, and I apologize for it, I should have worded it differently. I also see no problems with some of the replies, and I appreciate being called on my tone. Damned if you didn’t just shoot right up my list of most respected Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/30 "2015-08-19T20:09:44Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I got the URL[from this Buzzfeed article](http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellencushing/i-talked-to-my-cheating-ex-after-finding-his-email-in-the-as#.lb229xj44) where the writer looks up and finds her ex’s email address and writes the most boring article ever about it. I’m a bit surprised there haven’t been more high profile revelations as yet. There’s gotta be some Senator or Governor on there. I think this has potential to be larger than just a salacious special interest story ultimately. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/31 "2015-08-19T20:14:19Z")
It ewill be interesting to see what claims are being made about this. Of course, one can always claim fraud. Or if you are a Bill Clinton, what would it matter? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/32 "2015-08-19T20:28:25Z")
Considering I’ve read that something like 95%+ of the users are men, being on the list isn’t necessarily evidence that you had an affair…just that you tried to or thought about it. I predict that [AshleyMadison.com](http://AshleyMadison.com) and its parent will see an extreme decline in business over the coming year. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/33 "2015-08-19T20:31:51Z")
No, I won’t check. I’m not worried that my wife might be paying around, and I don’t want to find out if any of my acquaintances are. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/34 "2015-08-19T20:36:57Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > The tone of the reply was, actually, self righteous, not to mention snotty, and I apologize for it, I should have worded it differently. I also see no problems with some of the replies, and I appreciate being called on my tone. Very classy. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/35 "2015-08-19T20:40:28Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Considering I’ve read that something like 95%+ of the users are men, being on the list isn’t necessarily evidence that you had an affair…just that you tried to or thought about it. Pretty sure that my wife would consider this a distinction without a difference! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/36 "2015-08-20T00:09:56Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I’m a bit surprised there haven’t been more high profile revelations as yet. There’s gotta be some Senator or Governor on there. I think this has potential to be larger than just a salacious special interest story ultimately. Gawker is saying that Josh Duggar had a paid account. I don’t know how reliable that is. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/37 "2015-08-20T00:10:26Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Gawker is saying that Josh Duggar had a paid account. I don’t know how reliable that is. That dude is having a bad 2015. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/38 "2015-08-20T00:38:10Z")
Related recent thread with more fresh postings: [Where is the Ashley Madison hacked data being posted? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=763003) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/39 "2015-08-20T12:35:18Z")
This is primed to be way more dangerous than initially thought (or at least my initial thoughts). According to an article in the Atlanta Journal today, there are many: \*.gov and .mil email addresses. That could potentially cost people their career. \*.sa addresses. That could potentially cost people their life, as adultry is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia Not to mention the whole Pandora’s box of hackers enforcing their morals via blackmail/name and shame tactics. Scary. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/40 "2015-08-20T13:20:18Z")
> [@Not\_a\_Platypus](#): > > Nope, and I hope the people that do look for their spouses or just to see if they recognize any names take what they find with a huge grain of salt. From what I understand there’s no real way to tell who signed up and fucked around on their “monogamous” relationship, who signed up just out of curiosity and did nothing further, who was actually single and just looking to get laid, and who signed up as part of an open relationship. I agree. I’m not married, and even if I was, I wouldn’t look on there for my husband’s name. But if someone else told me he was on there, it wouldn’t be immediate grounds for divorce, I’d maybe ask why he was on there, and what he was hoping for, and see if there was a major issue that needed to resolved in our marriage or if it was just boredom/fantasizing. [Dan Savage has a good article regarding this](http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/19/22724283/so-youre-thinking-about-checking-to-see-if-your-husband-or-wife-was-on-ashely-madison), I hope a lot of people affected read it. > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I’m a bit surprised there haven’t been more high profile revelations as yet. There’s gotta be some Senator or Governor on there. I think this has potential to be larger than just a salacious special interest story ultimately. There are probably a few high profile people, but I think most high profile people are smart enough to use fake info that can’t be traced back to them, or are smart enough to find other ways to have affairs. I figure that part of the duties for the staff of a politician is getting women discreetly in and out of the office or hotel room of the politician, no need to bring Ashley Madison into it. Josh Duggar was on and I think that’s hilarious, but I’d be very surprised if any of the presidential candidates or anyone super high profile was found on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230.md?page=3)