[Blog](/blog) Show links Resources [Blog](/blog) [Breaches](/breaches) [eBooks, reports, & more](/resources) [Events](/events) [News](/news) [Data Breaches](/category/data-breaches) Show links Categories [Attack Surface Management](/category/attack-surface-management) [Company News](/category/company-news) [Compliance and Regulations](/category/compliance-and-regulations) [Cybersecurity](/category/cybersecurity) [Data Breaches](/category/data-breaches) [DevOps](/category/devops) [Human Cyber Risk](/category/human-cyber-risk) [Risks and Vulnerabilities](/category/risks-and-vulnerabilities) [Third-Party Risk Management](/category/third-party-risk-management) [Vendor Risk Management](/category/vendor-risk-management) [How Did Plex Get Hacked in 2022?](/blog/how-did-plex-get-hacked) Publish date November 19, 2024 {x} minute read # How Did Plex Get Hacked in 2022? [Get a demo](/contact-sales) [Free trial](/demo) [Download the PDF guide](/resources/complete-guide-to-data-breaches) [Free trial](/demo) Written by [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) Senior Cybersecurity Writer Edward is a cyber writer with a mechanical engineering background. His work has been referenced by academic institutions and government bodies. Reviewed by [Kaushik Sen](/team/kaushik-sen) Chief Marketing Officer Kaushik has a background in software engineering, enterprise solution architecture, and data analytics. He brings a unique, data-driven perspective to cybersecurity education. Table of contents eBook A Complete Guide to Data Breaches Free resource ### A Complete Guide to Data Breaches Learn how to avoid a costly data breach with a comprehensive prevention strategy. [Download now](/resources/complete-guide-to-data-breaches) ‍[Plex](https://www.upguard.com/security-report/plex) was breached by an unauthorized third-party gained who gained access to a proprietary database. The specific attack vector that facilitated the breach hasn’t been disclosed. According to Plex, cybercriminals “tunneled” their way through sophisticated cybersecurity mechanisms to gain access to sensitive customer data. Tunneling references are usually descriptive of [third-party breaches ](https://www.upguard.com/blog/prevent-third-party-data-breaches)- when a data breach occurs through a compromised third-party vendor - which would align with Plex’s admission that the attack was facilitated by unauthorized third-party access. The term tunneling is also associated with VPN compromise, like the event preluding the [Uber data breach](https://www.upguard.com/blog/what-caused-the-uber-data-breach). Both scenarios are speculations that haven’t been confirmed by Plex. The data breach impacted 30 million Plex users. Compromised data included: * Emails * Usernames  * Encrypted (or hashed) passwords Depending on the degree of encryption, compromised passwords could take years, or even centuries, to crack with password discovery methods. Out of an abundance of caution, Plex has urged its users to reset their passwords immediately. ## How to Avoid a Data Breach like Plex With the limited information currently available about the incident, it seems like Plex followed good cybersecurity practices leading up to and following this data breach. The company stored passwords securely, they rapidly detected and stopped the cyber attack, and, most important of all, the company notified its customer of the data breach within 24 of the event being discovered - a stark contrast to [Cash App who waited four months](https://www.upguard.com/blog/how-did-the-cash-app-data-breach-happen) before advising its users of a data breach.  Nevertheless, even with the limited amount of information that’s available, some important cybersecurity lessons can be learned from the Plex data breach ## 1. Document all Log Records Keeping an updated record of all asset access logs could alert you to suspicious network activity and also prove that [appropriate response actions](https://www.upguard.com/blog/creating-a-cyber-security-incident-response-plan) were taken in the event of a data breach investigation. Network activity could be monitored with free tools like Wireshark. Data log documentation is a security control that could support compliance with cybersecurity regulations[ like HIPAA](https://www.upguard.com/blog/how-to-become-hipaa-compliant). ## 2. Implement a Vendor Risk Management Solution If the Plex data breach occurred through a compromised third party, a tool supporting the execution of proper[ Vendor Risk Management](https://www.upguard.com/blog/vendor-risk-management) could preemptively detect vendor vulnerabilities facilitating such breaches. ## 3. Segment Your Internal Network Even if a threat actor gains access to your private network, the risk of a data breach could be reduced if your network is segmented in a way that obfuscated lateral movement. [Learn more about network segmentation >](https://www.upguard.com/blog/network-segmentation-best-practices) ## 4. Secure Privileged Credentials with Hard Tokens If the Plex hackers gain administrative level access to a victim’s server, they could potentially steal all of the media files uploaded to that server, or additionally, encrypt these files and threaten deletion unless a ransom is paid. Though your business may not offer the same file upload capabilities as Plex, this threat highlights the level of business disruption that’s possible if privileged credentials are compromised. To mitigate such events, all privileged credentials should be secure with multiple authentication factors. Ideally, hard tokens should be used as an additional authentication barrier since this security controls his the hardest to bypass. [Learn about Privileged Access Management >](https://www.upguard.com/blog/prevent-supply-chain-attacks-by-securing-pam) ‍ See how your organization's security posture compares to Plex's. [View Plex's security report.](https://www.upguard.com/security-report/plex) ‍ ‍ eBook A Complete Guide to Data Breaches Free resource ### A Complete Guide to Data Breaches Learn how to avoid a costly data breach with a comprehensive prevention strategy. [Download now](/resources/complete-guide-to-data-breaches) ## Related posts Learn more about the latest issues in cybersecurity. Attack Surface Management #### [Find Out if You're Exposed on the Dark Web](/blog/find-out-if-youre-exposed-on-the-dark-web) Answer 5 quick questions to predict what a dark web scan will find about your company. Then run the free scan to see your real exposure. [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 14, 2026 Data Breaches #### [Your First Dark Web Scan Report, Explained](/blog/your-first-dark-web-scan-report-explained) You scanned your domain. What do the results mean? [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 13, 2026 Data Breaches #### [Good Security Rating? Your Dark Web Exposure Says Otherwise](/blog/good-security-rating-your-dark-web-exposure-says-otherwise) Scan your domain to see just how exposed you are on the Dark Web. [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 13, 2026 Data Breaches #### [How to Prevent Data Breaches in 2026 (Highly Effective Strategy)](/blog/prevent-data-breaches) Learn how to implement an effective security control strategy for defending against data breaches in 2026. [](/team/edward-kost) [Edward Kost](#) October 21, 2026 Attack Surface Management #### [Attack Surface Management Vendors Compared](/blog/attack-surface-management-vendors-compared) We compared ASM vendors and helped you rate them before agreeing to a POC! [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 13, 2026 Attack Surface Management #### [The Blind Spot in Brand Protection: Why App Stores Slip Past Standard Monitoring](/blog/the-blind-spot-in-brand-protection-why-app-stores-slip-past-standard-monitoring) Do Brand Protection Solutions scan the Apple App Store and Google Play? Don't wait to find out. [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) September 22, 2026 [All posts](/blog) Experience superior visibility and a simpler approach to cyber risk management [Get a demo](/contact-sales) [Free trial](/demo)