Cyber news, tools & one smart career path from your Cyber Bestie.
5 min read
Quick Reality Check
Dating Safety App Exposes Women’s Private Messages in Massive Breach.
What happened:
The Tea app, launched as a "women's dating safety app” where women were able to flag shady dates, was hit with not one but two major data leaks. Together, these flaws exposed over 59 GB of sensitive content, including selfies, IDs, and 1.1 million private messages.
Why it matters:
The app was rushed to market with AI-generated code and little oversight, aka “vibe coding.” The result? Critical vulnerabilities like an open database and insecure access controls.
What you can do if you are part of it:
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Freeze your credit (to prevent identity theft)
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Make strong and unique passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication for key accounts
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Be mindful of answering calls from unknown numbers
This is a reminder: Don’t hand over your phone number, health information, or driver’s license to just any app on the App Store.
Read more here.
60-Second Protection Fix
If you’ve ever used a dating app, here’s a crucial privacy step you might’ve missed:
Option 1: If you stopped using your account and just deleted the app: Deleting the app from your phone does NOT delete your account. That account, and all your personal info, can still be active and searchable.
Must Do: Go back to the app and officially delete your account. Look for settings like "Account," "Privacy," or "Delete Account." Each app makes this a bit tricky, but it’s worth the effort.
Option 2: If you still have an active dating profile. Check your profile photos.
Must Do:
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Make sure your pictures are unique to your dating profile (not reused from LinkedIn, Instagram, etc)
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Avoid landmarks, street signs, or anything in the background that can reveal your location or identity
Anyone can take your photo and run a reverse image search to find out more about you than you intended to share.
Exploring a New Career? Check Out Application Security (aka “The Code Guardians”)
Application Security teams are responsible for building and securing the software people use every day, like websites, mobile apps, and chatbots. They ensure that sensitive data (like names, emails, and resumes) is handled safely and doesn’t leak. If you’ve ever thought, “How do we stop breaches at the source?”, this could be your path.
Learn more about Application Security in my Free Intro Course: Cyber Paths 101
Cyber Paths 101 walks you through all 14 cybersecurity domains (including Application Security) so you can explore each role and see which one fits you best.
Ready to go deeper? Join our Cyber Career Club to grow your skills, find your footing, and build with a community that’s rooting for you every step of the way.
Must-Have Tool
Google Lens (on iOS and Android)
Use it to reverse image search your profile photos. It shows if your images (or similar ones) are floating around the web, and where.
What You Missed This Week
The Tea App was breached…again - Over 1.1 million direct messages were exposed, including conversations about cheating and assault with names, phone numbers, and meeting locations. Just tap the image or click here.
What We're Hearing From You!
Total girl boss 🔥 @iamsarahmckenzie
Thanks for the love, Sarah!
Let’s keep building together!
Stay protected,
Cybersecurity Girl
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