Snapchat breach exposes weak security system

[NEW YORK] Even as Snapchat has become the latest Internet darling, daring to reject multi-billion-dollar acquisition deals, the young company has masked what some consider to be a dirty little secret: Its security may not be all that different from that of other big messaging services.

That secret was laid bare last week when a group of security researchers exploited a weakness in Snapchat's systems to snag and post usernames and telephone numbers for 4.6 million Snapchat users.

Snapchat has long marketed itself as a private and more secure alternative to services such as Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram. The app lets users send photo and video messages that disappear once they are viewed. That self-destruct feature initially gave the app a reputation as a favourite tool for so-called sexters, or those who send sexually suggestive photos of themselves, but eventually it went mainstream.