RockYou#Data breach

Based in San Francisco, California, RockYou was founded in 2005 by Lance Tokuda and Jia Shen. The company's first product, a slideshow service, was designed to work as an application widget. Later applications included various forms of voice mail, text and photo stylization, and games. As of December 2007, it was the most successful widget maker for the Facebook platform in terms of total installations.{{Citation needed|date=January 2015}}

In May 2007, RockYou was one of the companies invited to participate in F8, the event at which Facebook announced an open platform allowing third parties to develop and operate their own software applications on the Facebook website. Applications made for Facebook include Super Wall,{{cite news|work=New York Times|access-date=2007-12-23|title= In Facebook, Investing In a Theory|author=Brad Stone|date=October 4, 2007|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0D91E30F937A35753C1A9619C8B63}} "Hug Me", Likeness, Vampires, Slideshows, Birthdays, MyGifts, and Emote, among others.{{cite news|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/03/BUG14RTHD31.DTL|title=Widgets add flair to dress up Web sites|author=Ellen Lee|date=September 3, 2007}}

In December 2009, RockYou experienced a data breach resulting in the exposure of over 32 million user accounts. This resulted from storing user data in an unencrypted database (including user passwords in plain text instead of using a cryptographic hash) and not patching a ten-year-old SQL vulnerability. RockYou failed to provide a notification of the breach to users and miscommunicated the extent of the breach.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/12/14/rockyou-hack-security-myspace-facebook-passwords/|title=RockYou Hack: From Bad To Worse|author=Nik Cubrilovic|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=15 December 2009 }}

In October 2010, the company completed major layoffs.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/10/15/rockyou-rocked-by-layoffs-as-it-switches-focus-to-social-games/|title=RockYou Rocked By Layoffs As It Switches Focus To Social Games|author=Jason Kincaid|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=15 October 2010 }} In November 2010, the company's founder and CEO, Lance Tokuda, stepped down from his position as CEO{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/23/rockyou-ceo-lance-tokuda-steps-down/|title=RockYou CEO Lance Tokuda Steps Down|author=Jason Kincaid|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=24 November 2010 }} and was later replaced by Lisa Marino in April 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2011/04/08/interview-new-rockyou-ceo-lisa-marino-talks-social-gaming-advertising-and-mobile/|title=Interview: New RockYou CEO Lisa Marino Talks Social Gaming, Advertising and Mobile|work=insidesocialgames.com}}

In 2010, RockYou announced the acquisitions of two game development studios, TirNua{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/tirnua-acquisition-company--with-over-100-years-of-game-development-experience--picked-up-by-zoo-world-publisher-rockyou|title=TirNua acquisition|work=GamesIndustry.biz|date=3 December 2010 }} and Playdemic,{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/13/rockyou-playdemic/|title=RockYou Buys UK-Based Social Gaming Startup Playdemic|author=Robin Wauters|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=13 January 2011 }} as well as development agreements for two new games from John Romero's social game studio Loot Drop.{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/01/20/rockyou-signs-deal-with-doom-creator-john-romeros-social-game-studio-loot-drop/|title=RockYou signs deal with Doom creator John Romero's social game studio Loot Drop - GamesBeat - Games - by Dean Takahashi|work=VentureBeat|date=20 January 2011}} Playdemic's first game, Gourmet Ranch, was nominated in February 2011 for a Mochi Award for Best Social Game. RockYou's investors include SoftBank,{{Cite press release |last=RockYou |title=RockYou Receives Additional $10 Million in Funding from SoftBank |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rockyou-receives-additional-10-million-in-funding-from-softbank-95760764.html |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}} Sequoia Capital,{{Cite web |date=2006-06-19 |title=Sequoia invests $1.5 in slideshow start-up RockYou.. & other valley news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2006/06/19/sequoia-invests-15-in-slideshow-start-up-rockyou-other-valley-news/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}} Lightspeed Venture Partners,{{Cite web |last=Weinstock |first=Suzanne |date=2013-01-04 |title=DCM leads $35m investment in RockYou |url=https://www.privateequityinternational.com/dcm-leads-35m-investment-in-rockyou/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=Private Equity International |language=en-GB}} Partech International, and DCM.

In 2011, the company agreed to undergo two independent security audits to settle a proposed class action in California over the 2009 data breach that exposed millions of passwords and email addresses.[https://www.law360.com/articles/294215/rockyou-agrees-to-security-audits-to-end-breach-action RockYou Agrees To Security Audits To End Breach Action] Law360. 16 December 2011.

In 2012, the company settled Federal Trade Commission charges. The settlement barred future deceptive claims by the company regarding privacy and data security, required it to implement and maintain a data security program, barred future violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule, and required it to pay a $250,000 civil penalty to settle the COPPA charges.{{cite press release|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/03/ftc-charges-security-flaws-rockyou-game-site-exposed-32-million|title=FTC Charges That Security Flaws in RockYou Game Site Exposed 32 Million Email Addresses and Passwords|work=FTC|date=27 March 2012}}

On June 13, 2012, RockYou acquired Bingo developer Ryzing{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/172223/RockYou_acquires_Bingo_developer_Ryzing.php|title=Gamasutra - RockYou acquires Bingo developer Ryzing|author=Mike Rose|work=gamasutra.com|date=13 June 2012}} and relocated its headquarters to San Francisco, California.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/13/rockyou-acquires-ryzing/|title=RockYou Acquires Social Games Developer Ryzing, Moves to San Francisco|author=Anthony Ha|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=13 June 2012 }} In August 2012, RockYou launched The Walking Dead Social Game based on AMC's hit series of the same name.{{cite web|url=http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2012/08/09/the-walking-dead-social-games-open-beta-lurches-onto-facebook/|title=The Walking Dead Social Game's open beta lurches onto Facebook|work=insidesocialgames.com}} In April 2014, RockYou purchased three Playdom social games from Disney: Gardens of Time, Words of Wonder, and City Girl, and announced it was licensing Army Attack, Crazy Penguin Wars, Millionaire City, and Zombie Lane from Digital Chocolate.VentureBeat, Dean Takahashi, 4/18/14, RockYou Buys Three Playdom Games from Disney to Keep Them Running

https://venturebeat.com/2014/04/18/rockyou-buys-three-playdom-games-from-disney-to-keep-them-running-for-players/

In 2015, RockYou purchased The Godfather: Five Families, Kingdoms of Camelot, Edgeworld, Glory of Rome, and Dragons of Atlantis from Kabam.

In 2016, RockYou acquired War of Nations from GREE.

In 2019, RockYou closed down its popular but money-losing PurePlay Poker Game without notice. Shortly after, the RockYou corporate website went dark.

In February 2019, after several Facebook posts promoting "exciting news" and a plan to upgrade servers, RockYou announced the closure of The Godfather: Five Families. Players were given 5 days' notice.

On February 13, 2019, RockYou filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/27094541/RockYou,_Inc|title=RockYou, Inc. Bankruptcy (1:19-bk-10453), New York Southern Bankruptcy Court|website=www.pacermonitor.com}}

In December 2009, the company experienced a data breach resulting in the exposure of over 32 million user accounts. The company used an unencrypted database to store user account data, including plaintext passwords (as opposed to password hashes) for its service, as well as passwords to connected accounts at partner sites (including Facebook, Myspace, and webmail services). RockYou would also e-mail the password unencrypted to the user during account recovery. They also did not allow using special characters in the passwords. The hacker used a 10-year-old SQL vulnerability to gain access to the database. The company took days to notify users after the incident, and initially incorrectly reported that the breach only affected older applications when it actually affected all RockYou users.

The full list of passwords exposed as a result of the breach is available in Kali Linux, and has been since its launch in 2013. Due to its easy attainability and comprehensive length, it is commonly used in dictionary attacks.{{Cite web|last=Kumar|first=Vijay|date=2020-05-11|title=Rockyou wordlist Kali Location and Uses, Complete Tutorial for beginners|url=https://www.cyberpratibha.com/blog/how-do-i-use-rockyou-wordlist-txt-in-kali-linux/|access-date=2021-01-12|website=CyberPratibha|language=en-US}}

• Army AttackGamasutra, Christian Nutt 4/18/14, RockYou's New Strategy: Rescue Games That Other Publishers Don't Want

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/215827/RockYous_new_strategy_Rescue_games_that_other_publishers_dont_want.php

• Bakery Blitz
• Bingo Blingo
• Birthday Cards
• Brightwood Adventures
• City Girl Life
• Crazy Penguin Wars
• Dragons of Atlantis
• Edgeworld
• Fashion Designer
• Gardens of Time
• Gold Rush
• Glory of Rome
• Hero World
• Horoscopes
• Hug Me
• Jackpot Bingo
• Kahzuu Slots
• Kingdoms of Camelot
• Kitchen Scramble
• Lucky Slots
• Mall World
• Millionaire City
• Movie Blitz
• My Casino
• New World
• Pieces of Flair
• Pioneer Adventures
• PurePlay Poker
• Rapid Poker
• RockYou Live
• RockYou Poker
• Skull Island
• Solitare 3 Arena
• Solitare Arena
• Speed Racing
• Super Pets
• The Godfather: Five Families
• The Walking Dead Social Game
• Toy Land
• Volcano Island
• War of Nations
• Words of Wonder
• Zoo World
• Zoo World 2
• Zoo World Classic
• Zombie Lane

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockyou!}}

Category:Software companies established in 2005

Category:2005 establishments in California

Category:Privately held companies based in California

Category:Cyberattacks

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2019

Category:Software companies disestablished in 2019

Category:2019 disestablishments in California

Category:American companies disestablished in 2019

Category:American companies established in 2005

Category:Defunct software companies of the United States