Forums > Site Announcements > The HonestGamers site database MAY have been compromised again

Longtime members of this community may recall that on May 31, 2018, someone appears to have gained access to the site database and may have saved a copy of any records found in order to use the information at a later date or sell it to unscrupulous denizens of the worldwide web. At the time, I posted here advising everyone to change their password at HonestGamers, and at any other sites that shared it. I hope you all followed that advice.

The reason I am posting about that prior intrusion tonight is that I have just received an email from an anonymous individual claiming to have hacked the site database, and expressing an interest in having me contact them through an obvious junk account on Discord to "reason." The implication is clear: someone wants money from me or else they may do something undesirable with that access or with any information gained.

I am not certain whether someone did indeed crack and access the site's database. Given that many sites with security specialists on their payroll are routinely hacked, such a feat is within the realm of possibility. However, it strikes me as more likely that someone merely purchased records from someone else and is contacting webmasters on a list, making such claims in an attempt to extort money. Either way, mischief is on the menu. As a nifty bonus: I don't even have any finances to extort. They could hardly have picked a less fruitful target.

I am posting this message here now to notify you so you can take whatever action you deem necessary, and so you will be aware of the heightened possibility of scams hitting your inbox. This is true especially if you still use your old 2018 email account.

If someone gained access to the site database recently, they potentially will have been able to view:

* Your HG username
* Your HG password (which is encrypted and thus should be in a useless format)
* Your first name
* Your last name
* Your HG contact email

Anyone trying to scam you will have to perpetrate a scam that relies on some or all of those details. As you are aware, no financial information is requested or stored on this site, nor are phone numbers or other pertinent information. I don't ask for information the site doesn't need, and I don't sell or share any information that is provided. I try to ensure any information on file is as useless as possible beyond the application for which it is intended, to limit the likelihood someone will target the site. But of course, people who hack (or claim to hack) have no idea what is stored in a database ahead of time, so anything is possible no matter how unlikely.

As I've noted, I consider the risk in this situation minimal, but I wanted to let you all know about the possible intrusion as soon as possible because after all, a person can hardly be too cautious when it comes to web security. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here in this thread.

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Anyone who's ever read your posts should know you're not exactly loaded.

Thanks for the heads up.

I can avoid death by not having a life.