To be fair to these sites, they become targets because they are extremely successful in the online dating world. Think about it: If you’re a hacker, you’re going to target the biggest websites with the most users, because that’s where you’ll get the biggest reward for your scam. As a result, big name dating sites now spend millions of dollars on cybersecurity in hopes of preventing future attacks.
But there are also hookup sites that fly under the radar – sites that just aren’t big enough to get on the radar of scammers. If you want to experience the hookup culture of the Internet without exposure to the most popular sites, here are three solid adult dating sites that have not experienced a data breach:
adult friend finder
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Readers’ Choice for Casual Connections
tinder
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Top picks for finding hookups
Hinge
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Popular choice for regular appointments
friends with benefits
Think of friends with benefits as a website version of Tinder or a slightly softer version of AdultFriendFinder. Setting up an account is easy and requires very little personal information, so it’s a great start for people wary of sharing their data, but be careful: it’s also vulnerable to bots and fake profiles. You’ll spend as much time deleting AI-generated profiles as you will messaging potential partners.
If you live in or near a large metropolitan area, Friends with Benefits may work for you, as that’s where their users are most concentrated, and as of this writing, they haven’t had any data breaches yet.
Mashable Trend Report
guilty cases
We don’t condone cheating on your partner or spouse, but it’s a simple fact that a big attraction of online hookup sites is how easy they make it to get out of your relationship. Unfortunately, this also makes them a desirable target for hackers, who get not only your personal information but also some excellent blackmail material (“You wouldn’t want your wife to know…”) – think of the damage done to Ashley Madison users after over 60 gigabytes of data were leaked.
If you want to have some extra-marital fun but want to keep a low profile, Guilty Affairs is a good place to start. The interface is incredibly simple and easy to use, and doesn’t require a lot of sensitive personal information before creating an account and exploring your options – for example, there’s nothing like a roulette wheel of local singles to generate excitement.
All your Hinge questions answered
The best part is that they are very transparent about their dedication to cybersecurity, with 256-bit encryption as standard and all of their payment methods have PCI DSS certification, so if you decide to buy tokens (called “coins” on the site) to boost your profile or browse incognito, you can be assured of a high level of payment security.
Senior Sizzle
Okay, let’s say, if you’re still young, a hookup site with the tagline “Intimate Encounters Over 50” might not sound that appealing, but there are plenty of single seniors out there who want to freshen up, and the site is well designed to help them find their “sizzle.”
From a security standpoint, the site touts an in-house security team as well as “industry standard” efforts like firewalls and data encryption to help keep your personal information safe. And at the time of writing, they’ve succeeded with zero data breaches, which is no small feat considering the site was first launched more than 20 years ago.
How to protect yourself from data breaches?
While it’s a good idea to audit your website options before signing up, making sure they have a history of good cybersecurity practices, it’s also important to realize that you have a major role to play in protecting your data. Here are some best practices to ensure your online security:
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Limit your exposure. The less data you share with each dating website and the less specific that data is, the better.
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Sign up using personal or alternative email. Never use your work email, and consider creating a backup email specifically for online dating signups.
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Do not give personal information to unverified people. The person you’re talking to may be a cute, fun-loving single, but he or she may also be a chat bot or scammer eager to know everything about you for nefarious purposes. Save detailed conversations for in-person meetings.
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