Twitch Has Been Hacked, Personal Info Exposed

Yet another security breach has occurred, this time affecting popular game streaming site, Twitch. If you're a Twitch user, you're going to need to change your password the next time you try to log in.

A password wipe is just one of the measures being taken by Twitch in response to a recent hacking incident. According to the official Twitch blog, the company has expired all passwords and stream keys, as well as disconnected all accounts from Twitter and YouTube.

In other words, you're going to need to come up with a new password and, assuming you had your Twitch account attached to either Twitter or YouTube, you're going to need to reestablish that connection, too. It's a small inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless.

The Twitch post also goes on to recommend that you change your password at any other website where you might use the same password, the reason being that the hackers in question could simply search for your Twitch username across the internet and, assuming they find you elsewhere, try out your Twitch password just for the heck of it.

If you're in the mood for some new password tips, the post goes on to provide them, as well as explaining new password requirements for the site.

I get that this is all for security, but it really is starting to get on my last nerve. High profile service providers, especially in the gaming industry, are constantly under attack from hackers. I doubt anyone has forgotten the most recent incidents involving Sony and Microsoft over the holidays. On top of our personal and financial information being in jeopardy, it feels like I'm having to change my password somewhere on a regular basis. At this point, I genuinely struggle remembering all of those passwords, which usually leads to getting locked out of said accounts because, oops, I entered the wrong one two or three times.

Again, it's all for our safety, but it's frustrating that these measures have to be taken, especially when so many of these hackers claim to be doing this “just to see if they can” or to simply hurt companies like Sony or Twitch. Maybe get a new hobby, like playing video games, yeah? Then your free time won't be spent making millions of other people miserable. You aren't hurting the mega corporations here. They aren't losing customers or dollars worth fretting over. You're just hurting average people who want to play games and watch streams of Bloodborne or Battlefield when they finally have a moment to unwind after a long day of work or school.

As an added measure, Twitch has also sent out an email explaining everything above to all users, so check your inbox in case you have any further questions. That is, of course, assuming you still remember the new password following some other security breach.