Cheating website hacked, personal info posted

The parent company of Ashley Madison, a matchmaking website for cheating spouses, said Monday that it was hacked and that the personal information of some of its users was posted online.

Toronto-based Avid Life Media Inc. said it has had the hackers' posts taken down, and has hired a technology security firm.

“Following the earlier unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our system, Avid Life Media immediately engaged one of the world’s top IT security teams to take every possible step toward mitigating the attack,” read a press release on the Ashley Madison site.  The site’s homepage features a “Trusted Security Award” and a sign saying it is a “100% discreet service.”

The company and law enforcement are further investigating the breach, which was first reported late Sunday by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, a website that focuses on cybersecurity.

Avid Life, which also operates matchmaking websites under the CougarLife and Established Men brands, says it has 40 million members around the world.

Ashley Madison, which uses the slogan “Life is short. Have an affair,” has been planning to raise up to $200 million through an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

The breach comes about two months after dating site Adult FriendFinder was compromised. That site has an estimated 64 million members.

Al Jazeera and wire services