Being in an unhappy marriage is no picnic. It prompts some to find solace online, via sites like Ashley Madison, where you can communicate and then discreetly meet with people you are interested in for a clandestine affair.
Unfortunately, the recent hack of the website has threatened to make your carefully planned clandestine affair not-so-clandestine after all. The hackers are threatening to release the information they stole, which would, of course, include the names of the site’s members. If you’re one of them, how much trouble does that put you in, exactly?
Obviously, the release of such information would be damaging, but by itself, it’s not proof positive of infidelity. The intent, sure, but unless they also release emails you may have traded with someone you met, and you specifically mentioned your time together, simply releasing your name isn’t enough to provide definitive proof of infidelity.
It should be noted too, that so far, the hackers have merely threatened to release the information they stole. They haven’t actually released anything yet, and they may not. The point here is “don’t panic.” It may be a bluff. They may not do anything with the information, or if they do, they may go the traditional route and use credit card numbers and such, but not reveal potentially damaging information about anyone.
What you should do then, for the immediacy, is stop using the site until your divorce is finalized. Report the credit card you paid for your membership with as compromised so you can get a new one, and to prevent the hackers from ruining your credit on top of everything else. Finally, keep your cool. Again, nothing has actually been released yet. It’s one thing to plan for eventualities, but don’t put yourself in a blind panic over it. Not yet, at least.
