What happened in the Adult Friend Finder data breach?

The Adult Friend Finder data breach occurred in October 2016, impacting more than 400 million accounts and representing one of the largest data breaches ever recorded. Hackers penetrated the systems of Friend Finder Networks, which operates Adult Friend Finder—an adult-oriented social networking site—as well as other websites, leading to the exposure of personal information belonging to users. The data compromised included usernames, emails, login details, and passwords, many of which were stored in an unencrypted format or secured with weak encryption (SHA-1), thereby leaving them vulnerable to decryption. The breach not only raised serious concerns about digital privacy and security but also highlighted the risks associated with weak password protocols and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for protecting user data.