I never felt particularly comfortable with facebook’s Terms of Service or business practices, but it was their stunning lack of security and disdain for privacy that ultimately led me to close my account. This leak, which was published by Symantec, will be another blemish on facebook’s IT team that will likely have zero impact on user growth and engagement. People often use personal information as the backup security codes to things like credit cards, bank accounts and other sensitive data. There is a definite risk of identity theft. facebook users should consider changing their passwords and pin codes following this news.

While the information accessible wasn’t of the same sensitivity as the recent Playstation Network (PSN) breach (ie no credit card numbers paired with names and email addresses), the sheer number of people exposed is dramatically higher. Facebook has 600mm+ worldwide users who are installing 20mm apps daily.