Bringing the Houzz down: Home design website tells users to reset passwords after copping to breach

Home improvement website Houzz has urged users to reset their passwords after an "unauthorised third party" made off with a file containing customer data. The Californian biz, founded in 2009 and valued at almost $4bn in 2017, is a bartering marketplace and, er, ideas platform for interior designers, architects, traders and …

[Will Godfrey]

2019 v 2018

At this rate we're well on the way to exceeding last year's data leaks.

Edit: Well, reported ones!

[JetSetJim]

Re: 2019 v 2018

I got the email today, fortunately no personal info in the account, and I registered it with "[e-mail]" as the email (rather oddly, it wouldn't let you use "houzz" in the email), so it shouldn't be of any use to anyone (not even entirely sure why I registered it!)

[Version 1.0]

You learn a lot about security when you get hacked - it's a good education. On the other hand, getting hacked is so common these days that stories like this are a lot less interesting than reading today's weather forecast.

...They'll be coming back again, those nasty grumbly grimblies, and they're climbing down your chimney, yes they're trying to get in. Come to take your money – isn't it a sin, they're so thin ...

[JeffyPoooh]

"...urged..."

"...urged users to reset their passwords..."

'Next time you visit our website, please reset your password.'

...vs...

'Next time you visit our website, YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO reset your password.'

It's trivially simple to avoid "urged".

For consideration.

P.S. Yes, they could allow a certain number (or period) of 'Not Now' escapes, to overcome the obvious objection.

[adam payne]

It said not all had been exposed, but "out of an abundance of caution" it had notified all those who might have been.

Issue discovered late December but only notifying people now, that's not what I would call an abundance of caution.

[John Brown (no body)]

Yep, instant GDPR violation if applicable.

[Ken Moorhouse]

Do they have FAQ's on their site...

On how to secure back doors, fix windows, and how to use putty?