Slingshot error puts customer privacy at risk

New Zealand internet service provider Slingshot claims to be "a better place", but that is really not the case after the shocking incident that occurred today.

Media Fetish reported earlier that Facebook was experiencing an issue where users would sign in with their username and password but gain access to a strangers account rather than their own. I can now reveal that this issue was not the fault of Facebook, but instead was caused by an error with Slingshot.

Customers of Slingshot found that this issue was not just occurring on Facebook, but on many various websites where a log-in was required. These websites ranged everywhere from buying and selling site TradeMe to the University of Otago's 'Blackboard' service. It is not yet known whether any online banking services were affected.

'Blackboard' is a site where Otago students can access their study material and grades, submit assignments and send emails to classmates and lecturers. The University of Otago's ITS department said that they received many complaints from those who were accessing the accounts of other students rather than their own, and that all these students were customers of Slingshot. The University had to shut down access to the site off-campus to prevent breaches of privacy and security.

I made a call to Slingshot, who admitted they were the cause of the issue but said they would not disconnect their broadband service temporarily as they did not want customers complaining they had no access. I told them that more people would be upset when they find out Slingshot willingly put their privacy at risk, but they did not seem to care.

After today's incident it has also become apparent that the Bebo error Media Fetish reported on in May was also highly likely to be caused by the ISP Slingshot, rather than the social networking site itself.

Slingshot has a lot of explaining to do, and I expect to hear a statement from them in the media tomorrow.

For more see: "Slingshot Update"