[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f32yhu4rhxl4zq":3},{"success":4,"breach":5},true,{"_id":6,"name":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"domain":10,"breachDate":11,"addedDate":12,"modifiedDate":12,"contentUpdatedAt":13,"source":14,"sourceUrl":15,"sourceUrls":16,"pwnCount":17,"affectedCount":17,"affectedCountStatus":18,"affectedCountLowerBound":19,"affectedCountUnit":20,"hasEnglishDescription":4,"severity":21,"dataClasses":22,"description":34,"seoTitle":35,"seoTitleEn":36,"seoDescription":35,"seoDescriptionEn":37,"logoUrl":38,"isVerified":4,"isSensitive":39,"isSpamList":39,"isMalware":39,"company":40},"68e3266eda11adda48825409","Wattpad","Wattpad Data Breach","wattpad","wattpad.com","2020-06-29T00:00:00.000Z","2020-07-19T22:49:19.000Z","2026-07-19T00:01:07.442Z","Verified breach record","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bleepingcomputer.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsecurity\u002Fwattpad-data-breach-exposes-account-info-for-millions-of-users\u002F",[15],268765495,"known",null,"unknown","Critical",[23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33],"Bios","Dates of birth","Email addresses","Genders","Geographic locations","IP addresses","Names","Passwords","Social media profiles","User website URLs","Usernames","\u003Cp>The Wattpad data breach is a widespread security incident affecting 268,765,495 accounts using the online story and social reading platform. The incident occurred on June 29, 2020, and it was later understood that the verified data set posed a serious risk to user security within July 2020. For individuals with a Wattpad account, the risk is not limited to the exposure of an old password; when profile information, email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, birth dates, gender information, geographic location data, social media links, user website addresses, and biography texts are considered together, they create a strong database for identity theft, targeted phishing, account takeover attempts, and password reuse attacks.Although it is stated that passwords are stored in cryptographic hashes, the danger continues for people who use the same or similar passwords on other services. Therefore, the Wattpad data leak should be considered a critical breach that could have long-lasting effects in social reading communities and could put users' digital identities at risk on different services as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Leaking Data Types and Risks\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Verified data fields include biography texts, birth dates, email addresses, gender information, geographic location information, IP addresses, full name data, passwords, social media profiles, user website addresses, and usernames. Each of these fields alone poses a certain risk, but together they create a much more valuable profile for attackers. The combination of email address and username can be used to find accounts belonging to the same person across different platforms. Birth date, full name, and location information increase credibility in social engineering attacks. IP addresses can provide additional clues about the user's connection area and internet access habits.Biography, social media profile, and personal website links can also provide information about the user's interests, professional identity, social circle, or online habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The password field should also be evaluated. Although cryptographically stored passwords are more secure than plain text passwords, weak, short, or previously used passwords can be cracked over time. If the same password is reused for email, social media, gaming, shopping, or work accounts, accounts outside of Wattpad can also be at risk. Therefore, changing only the Wattpad password may not be sufficient; all accounts using the same or similar passwords should be addressed individually. Profile details matching the email address can create a suitable environment for phishing attempts that appear as fake support messages, account security alerts, or fake pages prompting the user to enter a password.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Verified Scope and Boundaries\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The verified scope is associated with 268,765,495 accounts, and the date of the incident is considered to be June 29, 2020. This number corresponds to a very large user base for social reading platforms with a wide membership, such as Wattpad. Since the data fields include personal identity details, account identifiers, contact information, and password data, the impact of the breach is not limited to login security alone. Profile details that may be combined with story reading, writing, and community interaction history on the platform carry the risk of linking different parts of users' online identities together. Therefore, affected individuals should not consider the breach an old event and should take into account that their email addresses and usernames could still be used in targeted attacks even years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boundaries should also be kept clear when evaluating the scope. Verified areas do not include financial payment information, private message contents, story contents, or phone numbers. This distinction is important because it allows focusing on the real risk areas without creating unnecessary panic. Conversely, even if financial data is not verified, the leakage of email, password, and profile information makes account takeover and phishing risks sufficiently serious. The information that active user passwords are stored in a salted and cryptographic form reduces the risk of plain text password leaks; however, user-related risks such as weak password choices, password reuse, and forgotten old accounts continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>User Groups at Risk\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>In the highest risk group are people who use the password from their Wattpad account on other platforms as well. If the same password has been used for their email account, social media profile, gaming account, cloud storage service, or work environment, attackers may try to access multiple accounts using a single data set. The second risk group consists of users who share their real name, date of birth, location, social media links, or personal website in their profile. This information can be used for messages that appear to know the victim, fake account verification requests, or personalized phishing content. Young users, content creators, and author profiles with a large following are more visible targets in this regard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who no longer use their old Wattpad accounts are not risk-free either. Passwords for unused accounts often remain unchanged for long periods and may still be valid for other services linked to the same email address. Additionally, if the email address hasn't changed over the years, the data in the leak can still serve as a usable target list for attackers. The risk is even greater for users who opened their Wattpad accounts with a corporate email address, because a breach on a personal platform can pave the way for phishing attempts targeting their work identity. Therefore, affected users need to assess not only their Wattpad account but also all digital accounts linked to the same email and password history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Urgent Measures to Be Taken\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The first step is to change the password used on the Wattpad account to a strong and unique password. If the same or similar password has been used on other accounts, different passwords should be set for all of these accounts. Using a password manager makes it easier to generate long and unique passwords for each service. Two-factor authentication should be enabled on all possible accounts. Primary protection should be prioritized for the main accounts such as email accounts, social media profiles, and those to which password reset links are sent. If the email account is compromised, the password reset process of other services can also be misused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second step is to establish a stricter control routine against suspicious emails and messages. Wattpad security, account verification, copyright notification, profile approval, or password reset should not be clicked directly on links sent under these pretenses. Users should perform account checks by typing the domain name into the browser themselves or through the official mobile application. The address of links in emails should be carefully examined, and if there are extra characters in the domain, spelling differences, or a redirection chain, the process should be stopped. Additionally, old sessions should be closed, unrecognized devices removed, and account recovery email addresses checked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Long-Term Security Strategies\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The Wattpad breach is one of the significant events showing the long-term effects of password reuse. Users should make it a permanent security habit to use different passwords for each service. A password manager offers a practical solution for generating strong passwords and storing them securely. Additionally, email addresses can be separated according to different purposes; when social platforms, financial accounts, and work accounts are linked to the same email address, the impact of a single leak increases. Two-factor authentication, trusted device checks, and regular review of recovery options on critical accounts reduce long-term risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Profile privacy should also be part of a long-term strategy. When sharing of public biography, social media links, personal website, birth date, and location information is minimized, the context that future data breaches could provide to attackers is reduced. Users should regularly review how much data they share with their real identities in online communities. Old accounts should be closed or at least password and recovery information updated. If the same username is used on different platforms, it becomes easier for attackers to match accounts; therefore, different usernames can be preferred for sensitive or professional accounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Record Control and User Action\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Wattpad email checking on LeakData helps you see whether your address is associated with this data breach. If the result is positive, first change your Wattpad password and any other accounts where you use the same password. Then review your email account's login history, forwarding rules, recovery information, and unrecognized devices. Carefully check suspicious messages received in recent weeks or months, especially notifications related to password resets and account security. Even if your email address does not appear in this breach, general account hygiene is still important because the same username, social media links, or personal website information could be found in other data sets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The recommended primary approach for a Wattpad data breach is not to settle for a one-time password change. Regularly check where your email address is used, whether your old accounts are still active, how many platforms use the same password, and how publicly available your personal profile information is. Keeping your account security settings up to date, enabling two-factor authentication, and being cautious with suspicious messages provide long-term protection. This incident shows that profile data shared on large social platforms can be used in attack scenarios even years later, so Wattpad users need to reassess the security of their accounts and associated email.\u003C\u002Fp>","","Wattpad Data Breach (268.8 Million Reported Records)","Wattpad Data Breach. 268.8 Million reported records were reported. Reported data: Bios, Dates of birth, Email addresses. Review the scope, risks, and…","\u002Fuploads\u002Flogo\u002Fwattpad_com.webp",false,{"name":7,"sector":41,"country":42,"website":10,"websiteArchiveUrl":35,"websiteStatus":35,"websiteCheckedAt":19},"Online Publishing \u002F Social Reading","Canada"]