NEW YORK: Could hackers have been able to see the last person you cyberstalked, or that party photo you were tagged in? According to Facebook, the unfortunate answer is "yes."
On Friday, the social network said fewer users were affected in a security breach it disclosed two weeks ago than originally estimated nearly 30 million, down from 50 million. In additional good news, the company said hackers weren't able to access more sensitive information like your password or financial information. And third-party apps weren't affected.
Still, for users already uneasy about the privacy and security of their Facebook accounts after a year of tumult, the details that hackers did gain access to gender, relationship status, hometown and other info might be even more unsettling.
Facebook has been quick to let users check exactly what was accessed. But beyond learning what information the attackers accessed, there's relatively little that users can do beyond, that is, watching out for suspicious emails or texts. Facebook says the problem has been fixed.
The company set up a website that its 2 billion global users can use to check if their accounts have been accessed, and if so, exactly what information was stolen. It will also provide guidance on how to spot and deal with suspicious emails or texts. Facebook will also send messages directly to those people affected by the hack.
On that page, following some preliminary information about the investigation, the question "Is my Facebook account impacted by this security issue?" appears midway down. It will also provide information specific to your account if you're logged into Facebook.