Snapchat suffers security breach

Source: AP-Excite

By BARBARA ORTUTAY

NEW YORK (AP) - Snapchat, the disappearing-message service popular with young people, has been quiet following a security breach that allowed hackers to collect the usernames and phone numbers of some 4.6 million of its users.

Company spokeswoman Mary Ritti said Thursday that the company is assessing the situation, but did not have further comment.

The breach occurred after security experts warned the company at least twice about a vulnerability in its system. Snapchat's seemingly detached response is causing some security specialists to wonder whether the young company can handle the spotlight that it's been thrust into over the last year as its service has become enormously popular.

In response to a warning by Gibson Security Dec. 25 _which followed an earlier alert in August- Snapchat said in a blog post last Friday that it had implemented "various safeguards" over the past year that would make it more difficult to steal large sets of phone numbers. Snapchat hasn't detailed the changes it made.

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Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140102/DAB2UM1O0.html

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This Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 file photo shows Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel in Los Angeles. Snapchat, the disappearing-message service, has been quiet following a security breach that allowed hackers to collect the usernames and phone numbers of millions of its users. Snapchat said Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014 that it is assessing the situation, but did not have further comment. Earlier in the week, hackers reportedly published 4.6 million Snapchat usernames and phone numbers on a website called snapchatdb.info, which has since been suspended. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)