Trakt.tv reports that it had a data breach in 2014

Web service Trakt.tv had a data breach in 2014, which the administrators have now found out. An unknown number of users have had usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords stolen.

Trakt notifies affected users by email and has enforced a mandatory password reset for them. The site makes no mention of how strong the encryption is on the passwords. The site emphasizes that payment details have not been shot. These are in the hands of a payment processor and not Trakt itself. A PHP vulnerability would have provided an entry point for the hackers.

Trakt upgraded its systems in January 2015, which closed the vulnerabilities, the administrators say. The password storage algorithm has also been strengthened. The Trakt team apologizes for the situation.

As usual, Trakt recommends using strong passwords, changing them regularly, and never using the same password twice. A password manager can make that easier.

Trakt apps and add-ons allow users to upload their viewing habits to the site. This way they can build a media library. This data can then be used to keep track of where a user left off in a series and to generate recommendations for movies and series.