Mumsnet data breach - please read

Don ifyou imagine as each record gets lifted from its normal rest ing place and moves across to the new platform (cloud), someone logs in, and it gets misappropriated because of the routines having parallel processes for instances, so it plucks the wrong data at a given point (record searching as a result of login request)

Its a common thing.

Again think of it like using a spreadsheet.

If you delete or add a single cell it can throw the whole spreadsheet out if you aren't careful.

Its easy to do, which is why you are supposed to test your code before you go live to ensure that all the data is correctly lined up.

This type of security breech is most common when proper testing isn't carried out routinely whenever you do an update - which is why DH recommended a ISO protocol because you systematically do the testing if you follow the protocol.

It doesn't stop security breeches but it greatly reduces the chances of them. Which is why the protocol was designed. It helps to give people using a site which complies with ISO protocol, greater confidence in the security of their data.

TSB have fallen foul of the same sort of glitch and it was catatrosphic because it let people log into other people's accounts.

Knowing the nature of the glitch should make people a little more aware that MN can be reasonably confident (and all of us) that it was an internal issue rather than an external hack.

And if they have just reversed the update to a previous backup, the issue won't be on going, and will have been time limited to the period the update was live.

I'm not an expert. DH is. He just explains it to me in a 'dummy's guide to web security' kind of way. He said immediately that it was a tech thing when I told him what happened, and not a hack before I said that MN had just done an update on User Logins. What MN have said is consistent with what he said.

He comes across the problem a lot. MN are unfortunate in the sense that when it has happened to them its public to a lot more people than is normal and they have no where to hide from it. They should do better, but I don't think they are necessarily worse than a lot of other places who handle your data. As I say TSB had a similar issue.

As I've said above, I haven't been affected, and even if I was it would be no big deal, but this seems like a Royal fuck up that other companies can prevent happening, so I'm curious as to what sort of half assed system they have in place really.

@RedToothBrush
Can you ask whoever explained what happened, why it was simultaneous logging in that affected the data being mismatched/copied? Hope that question makes sense.
I'm just wondering whether everyone's data was mixed up? And why it only came to light when there were simultaneous logins.

No, everyone was logged out. During the day, they also logged out the App users, even though they hadn't been affected by the breach (or so they say).

I was logged out when i came online does that mean my account has been hacked?

@JustineMumsnet
Are you firing whoever was responsible? Do you outsource IT or was this an internal employee?
The world probably isn't going to end, like it might if it was a bank who made such an error, but it would appear from some explanations I've read on the thread, that this was a preventable error if someone knew what they were doing.

They always do that oh we’re just bumbling through thing

Getting a bit old now

@mnhq why are you so bad at handling data? I've only been on MN for 18 months but this sort of thing just keeps happening & you just keep reacting with the management equivalent of a tinkly little laugh and a shrug as you merrily trot along the same path. Bizarre way to operate an online business.

Something similar happened on three, recently. People opened up the three app, which requires you to be connected to their data to use, only to find other people's info on their screens.

Does it mean if no’ones emailed you or inboxe you or data is fine?

Thank you @RedToothBrush for the explanation. I can kind of get it now. Still don't understand how they managed to do that though.

These things happen and mnhq say never again each time

Beanaseireann Everyone has been logged out. Apparently, if you've been affected they will email you, though some posters are saying they were affected but haven't yet received an email.

First I've heard....no email or anything

This 'data breach' kind f thing seems to happen a lot on mumsnet doesn't it

I had to log in and I'm on the app. Have I been affected ?

These things happen, no harm done.

Well I’ve lost my old account because of this, as it’s associated with an email address I can no longer access.

Having re joined on desktop as mumsnet seems to no longer recognise my email address and password since being logged out, I still can not access MN through the app. Whats going on?

Me too im going to have to delete my acc, fed up of this

Or the data from one line was duplicated so users 345 and 344 were both seeing the same thing.

I just had to re log in and change password I a guessing mine was affected

Yes its to do with account IDs.

Think of it like a spreadsheet with numbers. When the tech went live the data in the adjoining cells moved down a line so didn't match up with the correct user ID.

So if you are ID 345 then instead of showing the data for your ID, everything shifted down and you saw all the data relating to ID 344 instead.

Until your computer updated, you might have a situation where someone who just logged in was seeing the updated data but the other person was still seeing their own data. Thus two people seeing the same thing at the same time.

This is a bit of a simplified explanation, but its essentially how it was explained to me by DH.

I'll certainly put in an SAR teddy and not just for this account but also for my original account that I deregistered a couple of years ago. I'd been on MN for about 10 years on that one. I don't know how long MN holds user info after an account is deleted so will be interested to find out.

If a system is static and no upgrade taking place, likelihood of duplicates randomly happening, no. When a system update underway and records potentially being copies and moved etc, the record identifiers could then potentially be more at risk. Although even in a static system there can be room for using a record identifier to call up and replace another, its the record being open and active whilst other software changes are being implemented causing the mix. I am in no way saying that's what happened here as I wouldn't have a clue what's gone on, but just saying, its not just a software upgrade but data transfers.

Wasn't there a "heartbeat" data breach a couple years back too?