MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — The Midland Crime Stoppers Facebook page is back up and running after they were hacked on July 4, according to the executive director of Midland Crime Stoppers. Their Facebook account was down for a whole week due to the breach.
The breach also resulted in their Facebook page losing 22,000-plus followers.
According to cybernews researchers, 10 billion unique passwords were posted to a popular hacking website on July 4. That incident substantially increased the risk for the affected individuals to become victims of identity theft.
"The hacking incident took down our Facebook page and disrupted our ability to communicate with our community," Executive Director Angie Valenzuela said. "It also impeded our role as a vital tool for law enforcement in soliciting tips and engaging with the public on criminal cases."
Midland Crime Stoppers has now launched an Instagram account to expand their outreach.
"We are now back on Facebook and are committed to using this challenge as an opportunity to revamp our page for improved security and user experience," Valenzuela said.