E3 Website Accidentally Doxed 2,000 Journalists

The organizer behind the E3 gaming convention has exposed the contact information for more than 2,000 journalists who attended the show this year.

For some reason, E3's public website featured a link to a spreadsheet containing the sensitive information, which includes email addresses, addresses, and phone numbers for members of the media who attended the annual gaming show. The security flub was spotted by YouTuber and gaming writer Sophia Narwitz, who notified E3's organizer, the Electronic Software Association, about the spreadsheet.

"ESA was made aware of a website vulnerability that led to the contact list of registered journalists attending E3 being made public," the association told PCMag in a statement. "Once notified, we immediately took steps to protect that data and shut down the site, which is no longer available. We regret this occurrence and have put measures in place to ensure it will not occur again."

Unfortunately, the damage was already done. A copy of the leaked spreadsheet circulated online, open for anyone to view and save.

The "doxing" risks unleashing a new wave of harassment against gaming journalists, many of whom already face personal attacks from online trolls who disagree with their reviews and viewpoints. The danger was underscored in 2014 during the Gamergate controversy, when an online harassment campaign targeted several women in the industry, who received death and rape threats.

Although reporters generally publicize their work email addresses and social media handles, phone numbers and address information is usually kept private, and for good reason. The ESA hasn't fully explained how that information was posted, but the security blunder illustrates why it's best to avoid handing over your home address and personal cell phone number when signing up for these industry events.

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