Bit.ly may have been affected by hack

Link shortener Bit.ly may have been hit by a hack. As a precaution, the company has invalidated all links to Twitter and Facebook accounts. Users are advised to change their password for the service.

Details of the possible hack are unknown; Bit.ly simply writes that it has “reason to believe that login credentials have been compromised.” However, it is not clear from the statement of Bit.ly which login details the attackers have received and whether it concerns, for example, encrypted passwords or not.

In any case, the link shortener recommends that users change their passwords, despite there being “no indication” that the attackers actually had access to users’ accounts. In addition, linked Twitter and Facebook accounts have been disconnected as a precaution and Bit.ly also advises users to change their api key. The api can be used to shorten link from external apps; by linking an account, users can see how often their links have been clicked.