TORONTO, (Reuters) – Love lives and reputations may be at risk after the release of customer data from infidelity website Ashley Madison, an unprecedented breach of privacy likely to rattle users’ attitudes towards the Internet.
Hackers dumped a big cache of data containing millions of email addresses for U.S. government officials, UK civil servants and high-level executives at European and North America corporations late on Tuesday, the latest cyber attack to raise concerns about Internet security and data protection.
The hacker attack has been a big blow to Toronto-based assignation website firm Avid Life Media, which owns Ashley Madison and has indefinitely postponed the adultery site’s IPO plans. But many professions stand to benefit from the unfolding saga, from lawyers to therapists to cyber security firms.
Prominent divorce lawyer Raoul Felder said the release is the best thing to happen to his profession since the seventh Commandment forbade adultery in the Bible.
“I’ve never had anything like this before,” he said.
The data dump began to make good on the hackers’ threat last month to leak nude photos, sexual fantasies, real names and credit card information for as many as 37 million customers worldwide of Ashley Madison, which uses the slogan: “Life is short. Have an affair.”
The public embarrassment and emotional toll is likely to be enormous on unsuspecting people whose extra-marital affairs may have been exposed on the web or even whose emails were used without their knowledge to sign up for the site.
“These poor people will be dealing with it in such a public way. It will be absolutely devastating,” said Michele Weiner Davis, marriage therapist in Colorado and author of Divorce Busting.
For the partners or spouses, the initial shock will likely turn to anger and then a deep feeling of hurt and betrayal, she said.
“It’s no picnic for the unfaithful partner either.”
Ashley Madison members would likely be best served by coming clean instead of waiting to see if their indiscretion is discovered, said Dr B. Janet Hibbs, a psychologist and couples therapist in Philadelphia.
“Fall on your sword if you want to save your relationship,” she said. “Be prepared for them to ask a lot of questions, to not be defensive, to be compassionate.”
The data release could have severe consequences for U.S. service members if found to be real. Several tech websites reported that more than 15,000 email addresses were government and military ones.
Adultery, under certain criteria including the misuse of government time and resources, is a crime in the U.S. armed forces and can lead to dishonorable discharge or imprisonment.
