URL shortening service, Bitly, has issued a warning that its accounts have been compromised. While the company does not yet know if any accounts have actually been accessed without permission it has taken precautions to protect users who log in via Facebook or Twitter.
The statement, made on the Bitly blog, urged users to secure their accounts by changing their API keys and OAuth tokens, resetting passwords, and then reconnecting Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is reassuring that Bitly cares enough for its users to limit their exposure to any possible threat. However, the company has not gone on to explain what happened to cause the alarm.
In any case Bitly has published a set of instruction about what to do to reset your API key and OAuth token:
1) Log in to your account and click on ‘Your Settings,’ then the ‘Advanced’ tab.
2) At the bottom of the ‘Advanced’ tab, select ‘Reset’ next to ‘Legacy API key.’
3) Copy down your new API key and change it in all applications. These can include social publishers, share buttons and mobile apps.
4) Go to the ‘Profile’ tab and reset your password.
5) Disconnect and reconnect any applications that use Bitly. You can check which accounts are connected under the ‘Connected Accounts’ tab in ‘Your Settings.’
[Source: Bitly]
