Yesterday, I snuck off for a little spa time at the gorgeous hotel in Las Vegas where we were staying. As I settled back for my facial, the aesthetician and I got to chatting about our work, our lives, where we are from, and so forth. When she found out my job is to travel the country talking about online safety, she surprised me by saying, "have I got a story for you!"
It turns out that her husband is a band member for a still-touring 80's rock and roll star. Their band website, where members of the band share music-in-progress and tour photos, had a public area for the fans and a private area for friends and family. Apparently one of their "fans" (you'll note of course that "fan" is short for fanatic) hacked the site, took personal, family photos from the password-restricted private area and republished them on yet another band-related website!! And the only way it was discovered was when yet another fan of the group contacted them to let them know.
The world of celebrities, when it comes to cybersecurity, is a microcosm of what each of us "regular folk" experience. For an even darker, stranger look at celebrities and internet stalkers and hackers, read this Wired magazine article about what happened to lead singer Chester Charlie Bennington of the popular recording group Linkin Park: http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2007/05/ff_linkinpark