The following was leaked by someone at
AOL. The
memo basically gives employees answers to common questions the
press would have. Makes for an interesting read. And no, I didn't accidentally paste it twice, they do repeat quite a bit.
We are aware of claims that hackers have illegally viewed a very limited number of member customer service records.
Several news outlets may be running stories related to this issue. As a result, you may receive calls and questions from members. Please use the FAQs below to address any concerns or questions. If you receive any press or reporter inquiries, please use the form on Franz > Press Releases > Request a Callback for a Member of the Press.
NOTE: Remember, if news accounts contain screen names, do NOT use CRIS to look up the accounts. We can ONLY access CRIS when we have a legitimate business reason to do so.
Member FAQs
I was listening to the news and heard a story about compromised accounts ... is that true?
We are aware of claims that a small number of employee accounts have been compromised, and that by illegally using these accounts, hackers claim to have viewed a very limited number of member customer service records.
We take these claims very seriously. We employ the highest levels of security available anywhere. No information contained in our network or in our databases is of a higher priority for us than member information.
We have already taken steps and added additional security, to our already high levels of security, that will prevent this from happening.
What is AOL doing to handle this situation?
We are investigating these claims and adding additional security measures that will prevent this from happening. We take these claims very seriously.
No information contained in our network or in our databases is of a higher priority for us than member information. In addition, we will take any and all actions necessary to see that these hackers are prosecuted for their illegal activities.
How do I know if MY member information was compromised?
We are contacting any member whose customer service records might have been illegally viewed.
What kind of security do you have? How do I know my account information is safe?
Member privacy and account security is of utmost importance to our company. AOL, Inc. employs the highest levels of security available anywhere. This includes systems that alert us to any unauthorized attempts to access our systems or databases. We have already taken steps, in addition to our already high levels of security, that will prevent anything like this from happening.
This document is for INTERNAL USE ONLY.
My favorite is when they say "We employ the highest levels of security available anywhere" and then in the next paragraph turn around and say "We have already taken steps and added additional security, to our already high levels of security".