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Bitly Issues Warning Saying User Credentials Have Been Compromised

Bitly Issues Warning Saying User Credentials Have Been Compromised

By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 9 May 2014 11:17 IST

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Bitly, a URL shortening service issued an 'urgent security update' on Thursday that users' accounts credentials had been compromised.

In an official blog post Mark Josephson, CEO, Bitly said, "We have reason to believe that Bitly account credentials have been compromised. We have no indication at this time that any accounts have been accessed without permission."

The URL shortening service, in says it has taken "proactive steps to ensure the security of all accounts," including disconnecting all Facebook and Twitter accounts and invalidating all credentials. However, Bitly noted that users can reconnect their accounts with their Facebook and Twitter accounts during their next login.

Further, Bitly requested all its users to change their API key and OAuth token; reset password, and reconnect Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Bitly detailed the step-by-step instructions to reset users' account API key and OAuth token:

1) Log in to your account and click on 'Your Settings,' then the 'Advanced' tab.
2) At the bottom of the 'Advanced' tab, select 'Reset' next to 'Legacy API key.'
3) Copy down your new API key and change it in all applications. These can include social publishers, share buttons and mobile apps.
4) Go to the 'Profile' tab and reset your password.
5) Disconnect and reconnect any applications that use Bitly. You can check which accounts are connected under the 'Connected Accounts' tab in 'Your Settings.'

Josephson added, "We have already taken proactive measures to secure all paths that led to the compromise and ensure the security of all account credentials going forward. [..] We apologize for any inconvenience and we will continue to update our Twitter feed, @Bitly, as we have any further updates."

Bitly first reported about the possible account breach on Twitter and said, "We suspect Bitly account credentials have been compromised. Please take action now."

We suspect Bitly account credentials have been compromised. Please take action now. Details here: http://t.co/ZExA9TreXd
-- Bitly (@Bitly) May 9, 2014

Notably, the URL shortening service has declined to give more details about the probable breach, as noted by multiple media reports and has pointed to its official blog post and Twitter account for future updates.

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Further reading: Bitly, Cyber Security, Internet

Ketan Pratap

Email Ketan

Ketan Pratap is the Editor at Gadgets 360. His primary role - debugging the tech hype, benchmarking the future, and compiling it all into precise news, features or reviews. He has spent over 14 years calling out vaporware and identifying the best tech. He’s your guide for everything from chipsets to smart-home meltdowns. When his own batteries are low, he heads for the hills—literally. He’s someone who prefers a remote mountain pass, appreciating a 12,000-foot view that no VR ...More