Data breach

Playbook data breach

50,538 accounts · breached October 19, 2020

What happened

In September 2021, a publicly accessible PostgresSQL database belonging to the Playbook service was identified. Run by VC firm Plug and Play Ventures, the database had been exposed since October 2020 and contained more than 50 thousand unique email addresses along with names, phone numbers, job titles and passwords stored as PBKDF2 hashes. It took more than 2 weeks after being notified of the exposed data to properly secure it. It's unknown whether Plug and Play Ventures notified impacted individuals as they ceased responding to queries from the press.

Description by Have I Been Pwned

What data leaked

  • Email addresses
  • Job titles
  • Names
  • Passwords
  • Phone numbers
  • Social media profiles

What to do if you had an account

  1. Change the password. Change your password on this service. If you used the same password anywhere else, change it there too: attackers try leaked email and password pairs on other sites automatically. A password manager makes one unique password per site practical.
  2. Turn on two-step sign-in. Enable two-factor authentication where the service offers it, preferably with an authenticator app or a passkey. A leaked password alone is then not enough to get in.
  3. Expect targeted phishing. Leaked contact details are used to write convincing fake messages that mention the breached company or your real name. Do not click links in unexpected emails or texts about this account; go to the site by typing its address.
  4. Watch for scam calls and SIM swaps. Be suspicious of calls and texts that claim to be from your bank or a courier. Ask your mobile operator for a port-out or SIM-change PIN if it offers one.

Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com

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