Editorial: Risky nature of net

Very few feel sympathy for those exposed by hackers at Ashley Madison.

Many will feel little sympathy for the users of adultery website Ashley Madison.

The website facilitated cheating and millions worldwide signed up, including an estimated 4000 people in the Western Bay.

Data, stolen from the website by hackers, started spreading across the internet this week. The prospect of finding the name of a loved one or an acquaintance amid the site's more than 35 million registered members has drawn interest worldwide.

The data included email and postal addresses, sexual preferences, and the last four digits of the credit card used to sign up. Those caught up in the scandal now face the task of trying to save their marriages.

Forums such as Reddit - the user-powered news and discussion site - carried stories of anguished husbands and wives confronting their partners after finding their data among the massive dump of information.

A Tauranga lawyer told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend that she expects calls from upset clients while a local church leader says the data hack will mean families will be torn apart.

Some may feel this a just outcome and that the cheaters should face the consequences of their actions but the hacking of Ashley Madison raises wider questions about internet security and privacy.

It shows once again that no one is immune to cyber attacks. The implications of this on financial institutions, government departments and individuals cannot be overstated.

This latest hack serves as a reminder that while the internet is an amazing tool it comes with serious risks when it comes to privacy.