Disney says its new Disney Plus streaming
service doesn’t have a security breach, but some
users have been shut out after hackers tried to
break into their accounts.
The news site ZDNet found stolen account
usernames and passwords selling for $3 on
underground hacking forums. Disney’s streaming
service costs $7 a month or $70 a year.
Disney Plus comes as Disney and other
traditional media companies seek to siphon
the subscription revenue now going to Netflix
and other streaming giants. Disney is hoping
to attract millions of subscribers with its mix of
Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic
animated films and new series.
Helped by promotions, including a free year
for some Verizon customers, the new service
attracted 10 million subscribers the day it
launched last week. The popularity led to some
technical difficulties in the opening hours. Those
problems have largely been resolved.
Disney says there’s no indication of a security
breach compromising passwords. It says it takes
the privacy and security of users’ data seriously.
Disney Plus hasn’t said how many subscribers
have had security problems.
It’s likely hackers found email and password
combinations re-used by Disney Plus subscribers
after they’d previously been stolen from other
online services.
Paul Rohmeyer, a professor at the Stevens
Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey,
said he’s surprised that streaming services
haven’t yet implemented better security such as
multi-factor authentication, in which users must