Last week was huge for steamers. After more than two years of anticipation, Disney+ was finally unleashed upon us in all its glory.
Everyone has been looking forward to the extensive Disney+ content library. It’s packed full of shows from the likes of Pixar, Marvel and the Star Wars universe. Tap or click here to see how it stacks up against the competition.
After a bit of a clunky rollout, with users reporting login problems, Disney+ subscribers have been singing praises about new content like Star Wars’ “The Mandalorian.” Unfortunately, there’s a new problem hitting users. Yep, beware! Hackers are on the prowl.
Your Disney+ account may have already been hacked
People choose their streaming services for a number of reasons. Price and exclusive content are a couple of major factors, and Disney+ is a leader in both categories.
You can get the streaming service for either $6.99 per month or a full year for $69.99. When compared to other streaming services, these prices are very competitive, lower than even a Netflix subscription.
Price, along with its massive library of content, has already attracted tons of subscribers. In just the first 24 hours after launch, Disney+ had over 10 million people sign up. Impressive!
Unfortunately, like everything else in life that attracts the masses, it also draws in the dregs of society. Hackers are already stealing Disney+ credentials and posting them for sale on the Dark Web.
It didn’t’ take long, either. People took to social media to report their accounts were compromised within the first few hours of launch.
Here’s an example from Twitter:
DISNEY+ HAS BEEN OPEN FOR LIKE 10 HOURS AND MY ACCOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN HACKED pic.twitter.com/YBv6CfwTlh
— brandon ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ (@brandoncult) November 12, 2019
Prices for the stolen credentials range from $3 to $11. If you know how to do math, paying $11 for Disney+ credentials is more than what you’d pay for legitimate access. So, why would anyone want to pay that much? Keep reading and we’ll explain.
Protecting your online credentials
It would be silly for someone to pay $11 for access to an account that costs $7, right? Of course it would — unless you’re thinking long term.
This is what’s actually happening: Scammers are logging into Disney+ with stolen credentials, then updating the compromised account with a new email address and password.
This locks the real subscriber out of the account and gives full control to the scammer, allowing them to keep the account going for months. Or at least however long it takes for the victim to sort things out.
So, how are they getting their hands on these credentials to begin with? It could be a couple of different ways.
One possibility is the number of people who make the mistake of using the same username and password for multiple online accounts. If they have ever been part of a data breach, these credentials are be used to access all the other accounts that share the same username and password.
That’s why it’s very critical to use unique passwords for every online account. Don’t be that person who got caught up in the massive Yahoo breach a couple of years ago who still insists on using those same credentials around the web.
Creative passwords that keep hackers out can be difficult to come up with and remember. That’s why simple and easy-to-guess passwords that have been around since the dawn of the internet are still extremely popular. Tap or click here to learn how to handle passwords in the era of hackers.
Using a password manager will seriously help protect your credentials. Save 50% on RoboForm Everywhere and manage your passwords with ease and security.
Another way hackers could have gotten their hands on Disney+ credentials is through devices that are infected with malware or keylogging software. Keyloggers are hidden programs that can be installed on devices to record keystrokes. Tap or click here to find out if hidden software is recording your keystrokes.
With so many accounts already reportedly hacked, it would be nice if Disney would give users a chance to up their security. A great way to do this would be to add two-factor authentication (2FA) as an option. Tap or click here to learn more about 2FA.
Unfortunately, Disney+ does not offer 2FA at this time. With so many subscribers, hopefully the company will take security more seriously soon and implement security measures. Come on Disney, help make Disney+ the happiest place on earth!
