Snapchat Says It Will Strengthen Security Of Its App
By Melony Roy
VENICE, Calif. (CBS) -- It was not a happy new year for the popular photo-sharing service "Snapchat" or its users. The private messaging service, which was hacked last month, has released a statement on how it is making its app more secure.
In a blog post, Snapchat says it plans to put out a more secure version of its application after hackers posted the usernames and phone numbers of 4.6 million accounts online (see related story).
The update will tighten restrictions and allow users to opt out of the "Find Friends" feature, which pulls phone numbers of your friends and family from your address book. (It's designed to help you find people you know who are using Snapchat, but it also allows hackers to attack the app.)
The hackers say they leaked the data to put public pressure on Snapchat to fix the loophole.
Gibson Security, the company which claims to have originally discovered the loophole last year, says that "everyone is still at risk."