The Security Pros and Cons of Using Email Aliases
Summary: Krebs on Security explains that adding a "+" plus a site-specific tag to the username portion of an email address creates unique aliases that can reveal which site leaked or sold an address. Hold Security founder Alex Holden said threat groups scrub aliases from stolen databases, and HaveIBeenPwned data shows only about .03 percent of breached records include an alias, while Dutch retailer Allekabels notified only the 5,000 customers who had used aliases out of a 3.6 million-customer breach.
Key Takeaway: Aliases are rare enough that a handful sharing the same tag in a leaked database can identify which company was hacked, and Allekabels' decision to notify only its 5,000 aliased customers suggests breach notices can be scoped to those most likely to notice.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
- Topics
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