Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is advising users whose accounts with Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) were compromised to change their Facebook passwords. That’s according to Chris Welch of The Verge.
Facebook not directly linked with Adobe
Facebook engineers are taking the time to dig through a public database which lists information on users of Adobe. Any Adobe users whose passwords are the same as the ones they used on Facebook are apparently getting a warning message. It states that their account may have been compromised and that they should change their password because they used the same password on their Facebook account as they did on their Adobe account, which was compromised. Here’s the warning in full:
Someone May Have Accessed Your Account
“Recently, there was a security incident on another website unrelated to Facebook. Facebook was not directly affected by the incident, but your Facebook account is at risk because you were using the same password in both places.
To secure your account, you’ll need to answer a few questions and change your password. For your protection, no one can see you on Facebook until you finish.”
Facebook users must verify their identities
The questions referenced by Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) in its warning message are meant to force affected users to verify their identities before they are allowed to change their passwords. A spokesperson for the social network told Krebs on Security that they are regularly looking for any kind of situation in which their users’ accounts may be threatened, even if the threats are posed by external forces.
The hack on Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) compromised 38 million users, although security experts say that amount could be even bigger. Adobe’s initial report on the hack suggested only 3 million were affected.
It is recommended that Adobe users who used the same password on Adobe as they did on other websites take the time to change their passwords on those other websites as well as on Adobe.
