Personal information of over 30 million users was posted online following a large scale hack of the online dating site AshleyMadison.com. What is so special about this breach, and what facts should we understand? Here are 10 things to know about the scandals hacking.

1. Ashley Madison is Canadian dating service, which targets married people (or those in committed relationships) who are interested in having affairs. It is believed that the site has over 30 million members in more than 45 countries.
2. On July 15^th, 2015 hackers from a group called Impact Team stole customer information from the site such as; names, addresses, credit card information, and sexual fantasies.
3. The hacking did not only target Ashley Madison, it also targeted EstablishedMen.com, a fellow site also owned by the parent company Avid Life Media. The main goal of Impact Team was to get both sites closed down permanently.
4. On August 18^th, after about a month of threats, the information from both sites was posted online for the public to have access to.
5. Raja Bhatia, the founding CTO of AshleyMadison.com, has claimed that he does not believe the file not is not legitimate. Apparently, they have seen many unreadable and feel that the released data is not theirs.
6. Tory Hunt, a researcher for the website haveibeenpwned.com, which allows people to check if their email addresses have been hacked has made a counter argument that he feels the hack is legitimate. The website has been updating their site with the emails from the Ashley Madison leak.
7. Of the leaked email addresses, there are many that are .mil and .gov which are specifically for those who work in the military and government.
8. Initially the site had a $19 fee to delete messages, pictures, and profiles. However, following the the hacking this feature is being offered for free.
9. Unfortunately if you are a member, and don’t want your information to be released, it might be too late. Deleting data and destroying data are not the same thing. Especially if the hackers already have access to all the information.
10. This hack seriously threatens plans for Ashley Madison’s IPO. Many analysts believe the breach will affect any chance of a successful IPO.