No matter where you visit on the web, there’s always potential for danger. Cybercriminals just keep getting better at tricking and attacking users’ privacy, which is why so much of the web requires secure encryption and more to gain access.

But of all the places you can visit online, adult websites have to take the cake as the most dangerous. These sites are notorious for inflicting spyware and trackers on visitors, and can even be hijacked by ransomware. Tap or click to see how a new kind of porn malware records users.

We already know porn sites can be dangerous to visitors, but what about to the people who help keep them running? Well, thanks to the efforts of security researchers, we now know adult performers aren’t any safer than the rest of us.

A massive leak exposed thousands of performers’ personal data, opening them up to a slew of serious repercussions. Here’s what happened.

Adult site performers exposed (no, not that way)

According to research conducted by VPNMentor, an adult affiliate website supporting more than 66 million registered members, appears to have left a database containing 20GB of visible data unsecured. This means information like credit cards, social security numbers and drivers licenses are up for grabs.

But this time, it’s not visitors who were affected. Instead, more than 4,000 “models” who work for this platform’s network of websites had their information left up for grabs.

Not only are these models in danger of identity theft and financial compromise, they’re at risk of much more significant harm: real-life stalking and harassment.

Many of these models are extremely popular with their viewer base, and if one fan wanted to take things too far, they’d have all the information they’d need at their disposal.

As of now, the database is still live.

What information was affected? What does this mean for other users?

The site in question, P***yCash (we’re keeping it PG-13 here, people), is connected to at least 12 other adult platforms. At this time, it only appears performers were affected by this leak. More significantly, those involved now run the risk of third parties accessing the following data:

Real names

Birth dates

Citizenship statuses

Nationalities

Passports/ID numbers

ID photos

Personal signatures

Parents’ full names

Fingerprints

Much of this data is required by these webcam websites during the model screening process. Unfortunately, it’s a treasure trove for would-be stalkers. Tap or click here to learn how to tell if someone is stalking you with tech.

In addition to that risk, models working covertly as a side hustle are now vulnerable to their day job employers finding out. It’s not too much of a stretch to think someone might lose their job for webcam modeling after hours — especially if their company has a family-friendly image to maintain.

So what does this mean for the rest of us? This incident goes to underscore both the severity of data breaches and the risks of visiting adult websites. These platforms are often operated in grey areas of the law, so they tend to display a flippant attitude when it comes to data security.

It should go without saying, but we always recommend steering clear of the internet’s numerous “red light districts.” It’s not just good for your mental health, but for your privacy and security as well.

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It’s also another reason to keep a close watch on your kid’s internet habits. Tap or click here to see our Komando.com tech contract for kids and parents.