VerticalScope confirms hackers stole user data

TORONTO — Toronto-based VerticalScope Inc. says six of the community websites it administers were hacked last month in the latest of a recent series of data breaches affecting Canadian online user information.

The company said in an emailed statement an “unauthorized party” gained access to community member data for six of its websites on Oct. 17 and 21 and some of the data was disclosed online.

It said the data did not include credit card or banking information but did include usernames, email addresses, encrypted passwords, user identifications, registration dates and IP addresses for websites including DIYchatroom.com, PBnation.com, HysterSisters.com, ToyotaNation.com, JeepForum.com and WatchUSeek.com.

Alex Holden of Hold Security said his American cybersecurity firm was able to intercept hackers’ attempts to sell data stolen from VerticalScope and tracked down screenshots containing current secure information to confirm the breaches had taken place.

He said the attack was “rather sophomoric” and its success doesn’t reflect well on VerticalScope’s cybersecurity readiness, adding it’s unclear how many people had their confidential information stolen.

VerticalScope, which is majority owned by TorStar Corp., says it has caused all of the passwords on the sites to expire and has notified affected users.