• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechChanging Face of Security

Your Facebook and Netflix Passwords Are About to Change

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 7, 2016, 3:31 PM ET
Courtesy of Facebook

You might be forced to change your Facebook and Netflix passwords, even if it wasn’t your fault your password might’ve been stolen.

Both Facebook (FB) and Netflix (NFLX) over the last several days have been issuing requests to users to update their passwords in light of recent security breaches, security researcher Brian Krebs reported on Monday and the companies confirmed to Fortune on Tuesday. The companies are responding to the recent rash of hacked user credentials on social sites LinkedIn (LNKD), Tumblr (YHOO), and MySpace.

“We believe your Netflix account credentials may have been included in a recent release of email addresses and passwords from an older breach at another company,” the message from Netflix reads, according to Krebs. “Just to be safe, we’ve reset your password as a precautionary measure.”

A similar message is disseminated by Facebook, which made clear that while its own accounts were not hacked, some of its users might be using the same passwords on its site.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Krebs argues that the companies are responding to the recent hacks on social media sites that left hundreds of millions of account credentials, including up to 167 million LinkedIn accounts, accessible to the attackers. The account credentials were years old, but still were put up for sale on the Dark Web underground market for thousands of dollars.

In his blog post on the matter, Krebs said that those who accessed the hacked data could be attempting to log into Facebook or Netflix accounts by using the username-and-password combinations found in the leaked information. Trying to avoid too many users getting hacked, and fearing that some users who previously had accounts on MySpace or another service are using the same credentials, Facebook and Netflix are being proactive.

However, spokeswomen at both companies say that their firms are always on the lookout for security traps and will auto-reset user passwords whenever a person’s credentials might be in jeopardy.

“Some Netflix members have received emails encouraging them to change their account passwords as a precautionary measure due to the recent disclosure of additional credentials from an older breach at another internet company,” a Netflix spokeswoman said in a statement to Fortune. “Note that we are always engaged in proactive security measures, even outside of breaches. We proactively monitor our members accounts for fraud and suspicious activity and alert them if we see anything.”

A Facebook spokeswoman issued a similar response, saying that the company has been asking users to reset passwords since 2014 whenever it detects a problem.

For more on Netflix, watch:

“This is something we’ve been doing for people on Facebook for quite some time,” the spokeswoman said.

Whatever the case, don’t be surprised nor worried if Facebook and Netflix are asking you to reset your password. As it turns out, it’s just a couple of companies trying to look out for your security after others have been hacked.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press, saying he's talking to NATO about Greenland, before he departs the White House en route Palm Beach, Florida on January 16, 2026, in Washington DC, United States.
PoliticsGreenland
The weak business case for Trump acquiring Greenland: a $1 trillion price tag and few returns for two decades
By Jordan BlumJanuary 17, 2026
11 hours ago
boardroom
CommentaryCorporate Governance
When AI decides how shareholders vote, boards need to rethink governance
By Jane SadowskyJanuary 17, 2026
11 hours ago
The CEO of Informatica, Amit Walia
SuccessCareers
Like DoorDash and Google’s CEOs, $7.6 billion Informatica boss is a McKinsey alum—he says being ‘pushed around’ by smart consultants helped him grow
By Emma BurleighJanuary 17, 2026
13 hours ago
photo of western union store
CryptoCryptocurrency
Stablecoins will shake up the $900 billion remittance market—setting up a fight between crypto firms and legacy brands like Western Union
By Carlos GarciaJanuary 17, 2026
13 hours ago
InnovationThe Boring Company
Exclusive: Elon Musk’s Boring Co. is studying a tunnel project to Tesla Gigafactory near Reno
By Jessica MathewsJanuary 16, 2026
24 hours ago
AIOpenAI
ChatGPT tests ads as a new era of AI begins
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
America’s $38 trillion national debt is so big the nearly $1 trillion interest payment will be larger than Medicare soon
By Shawn TullyJanuary 15, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
The Nobel Prize committee doesn't want Trump getting one, even as a gift—but they treated Obama very differently
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Europe
Americans have been quietly plundering Greenland for over 100 years, since a Navy officer chipped fragments off the Cape York iron meteorite
By Paul Bierman and The ConversationJanuary 14, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Anthony Scaramucci thinks Trump's 'hard-left' move to cap credit-card fees is because he's 'texting back and forth with Mayor Mamdani'
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jensen Huang tells Stanford students their high expectations may make it hard for them to succeed: 'I wish upon you ample doses of pain and suffering'
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
'Absolutely, positively no chance, no way, no how, for any reason': Dimon says he'd never run the Fed but 'would take the call' to lead Treasury
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.