Enormous Fallout from Ashley Madison Website Hack

The hits just keep on coming in the wake of the hack on Ashley Madison, the Canadian website for extramarital affairs. Reportedly, hackers seized personal identifying information on 32 million site members, creating a worldwide panic over the prospects of exposure. Toronto police have confirmed cases of extortion as criminals attempt to capitalize on leaks. There is also an unconfirmed report of two suicides in Canada related to the hack. In the words of Toronto Police acting staff-Supt. Bryce Evans, the hack is having an "enormous social and economic fallout."

Ashley Madison’s parent company, Avid Life Media Inc., has offered a reward of $500,000 (Canadian) for any information leading to the arrest of the hackers. Known only as the Impact Team, these cyber criminals had targeted Ashley Madison allegedly because they objected to the immorality of the services the website was providing.

Members who face exposure include U.S. government employees with sensitive, national security and law enforcement jobs. Just the kind of people we don’t want subjected to blackmail!

Of course, no one wants to be blackmailed. No one wants to be exposed as a cheat and a liar. But such things happen when we don’t face our problems straight on, and make compromise choices instead of dealing with the real issues.

What do I mean by that?  This whole travesty comes down to people being unhappy and unfulfilled in their marriages. When that happens, you can do two things honestly: either go into counseling to try to rekindle your relationship, or admit that the relationship is irretrievably broken. Everything else is a lie that only leads to greater misery. 

At Salamone and Associates, Long Island’s largest divorce law firm, we help clients dissolve marriages that are no longer working. Ashley Madison may claim that “Life is short, have an affair,” but if life is short, why spend it living a lie? Why make yourself vulnerable to predators? Self-respect, as well as respect for your spouse and children, demands that you come clean. Life is short; live it true to yourself.

Bryan L. Salamone, Esq. extends free consultations to selected clients. Call 1.631.479.3839 or contact Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. online.