Surveys-as-a-service outfit Typeform spilled a backup from May Spanish Web form and survey company Typeform has announced a data breach in June, affecting data dated May, after someone gained access to one of the company's backup files. The company said the intruder accessed files “from a partial backup dated May 3rd, 2018”, and said it will contact all affected customers. “We identified …
Could companies please refrain from using URL shorteners ? It keeps people from checking that the URL should indeed go to where it is supposed to given the supposed source.
It's hard enough to ensure that spam and malware are avoided, but if you go and obfuscate the URL well that's the end of it. I never click on those things, whenever I see one my paranoia flares up something fierce.
Seems to apply to travelodge users too:
"
At Travelodge we take the safeguarding of customer data very seriously.
On Friday 29th June 2018 we were notified by Typeform, a third party company who manage customer surveys and competitions on behalf of many companies, including Travelodge, that they have been the victim of a data security incident which has affected the personal data they hold about you.
<blah blah snip>
"
Just had an email from Travelodge:
"At Travelodge we take the safeguarding of customer data very seriously.
On Friday 29th June 2018 we were notified by Typeform, a third party company who manage customer surveys and competitions on behalf of many companies, including Travelodge, that they have been the victim of a data security incident which has affected the personal data they hold about you.
Throughout the weekend, we have been working very closely with Typeform to establish the facts.
We can confirm that your Travelodge account, bookings, passwords, and payment details have not been affected by this incident. However, Typeform believe that your first name, date of birth, mobile number, email address have been acquired by an unauthorised third party. "
If you live in an oppressive political situation, would you really want to fill out a survey about your political orientation? And, if you live in repressive society, would you really want to fill out a survey about your sexual orientation and/or proclivities?
But, we've already seen surveys used for political manipulation by way of Facebook.
I think I may never fill out another survey. But then, what the hell am I doing expressing my opinion here?
Funny you mention politics, as the Lib Dems just emailed me to say responses to a survey I filled in were in the data breach.
"This survey also contained information about your political opinions, such as the campaigns and policy areas that are most important to you."
I think I may never fill out another survey
I used to get phone calls from survey companies[1].. my response was always the same "what are you going to pay me for my information? It obviously has value otherwise you wouldn't have phoned me.."
Eventually the calls tailed off - I guess my reputation spread.
[1] Despite being on the TP register. My second question was always "Where did you get my information? I want to know so that I can raise a complaint.."
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