If you use Plex, the popular streaming platform that lets you manage and watch your own media, there’s some news you’ll want to hear: the company has been the target of a data breach.
According to Plex, an unknown intruder managed to gain access to one of their databases. The good news is that credit card details and payment information weren’t touched—those aren’t stored on Plex’s servers at all. The bad news? Email addresses, usernames, and passwords may have been exposed.
The company was quick to reach out to its community by email, assuring people that passwords in the leaked database were hashed—in other words, scrambled using widely accepted security practices. That’s far safer than plain text, but not foolproof. With enough time and the right tools, some of those encrypted passwords could still be cracked.
That’s why Plex is urging every single user to take a few immediate steps:
Here’s where things get a little murky. Plex has described the intrusion as “limited,” but hasn’t shared how many accounts were affected. That means it could be a relatively small subset, or it could be millions. For now, the scope remains unclear.
If you’ve been around the internet for a while, this story will sound familiar. Plex is hardly the first streaming or online entertainment service to suffer a breach, and it won’t be the last. From gaming giants to social platforms, data leaks have become an unfortunate rite of passage in the digital age.
It’s a reminder of one very simple truth: your best armor online is still a strong, unique password for every account you care about—paired with two-factor authentication for an added layer of protection.
If you use Plex, here’s your checklist:
Because while Plex works to shore up its defenses and investigate what happened, your own best defense starts with you.
So—did you get the warning email from Plex yet? And be honest: are you the type who changes your password the second you read the news, or do you tell yourself you’ll do it “later” and hope for the best?