Millions of relationships are at risk because Ashley Madison, a site that’s created a marketplace for marital affairs, was recently hacked compromising the very personal data of some 37 million users.

The Impact Team, the hackers who claimed responsibility for the attack, compromised financial records of the service and threatened to release the sensitive information -identity of subscribers, if operations does not cease.

Detailed account of the hack can be found here.

One of the hackers posted his very opinionated manifesto regarding the services provided by Ashley Madison. His rant has since been removed from the web, but not before SiliconANGLE columnist and famed security expert John McAfee gathered a few of the more interesting data points shared by the hacker.

The hacker revealed that people living in Washington D.C. are more likely to cheat than residences in any other American metropolis. The information also showed which professions are more likely to cheat depending on the gender. While real estate agents seem just as likely to cheat regardless of gender, male doctors and police officers are the biggest offenders, while female teachers top the most promiscuous list followed by soccer moms and nurses.

As for the clandestine location of most rendezvous, it was revealed that cheaters chose have favorites when it comes to hotels (in order of preference): Sheraton, Hilton, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Radisson, Comfort Inn, Four Seasons, Marriott, Best Western and Westin.

We didn’t need a hack for that

The information sheds some insight to the secret lives of cheaters, but we didn’t need a hacker to get the data points shared above. Ashley Madison itself has readily shared the findings of its own surveys regarding user behavior.

A survey from 2010 showed almost identical results as the data provided by the hacker’s manifesto, and one survey even disclosed that Christians are the most likely cheaters among religious affiliations.

In a survey from 2012, Noel Biderman, CEO of Avid Life Media Inc – parent company of Ashley Madison, explained why the professions listed are associated with the site’s most active cheaters.

“I’m not surprised to see them on the list as they are natural risk takers. Those who take risks at work tend to do the same in their personal lives because they feel invincible and don’t think they will get caught. This is true for both men and women,” Biderman stated.

Men aren’t the only ones cheating now. Biderman explained that as women gain more experience in life such as better jobs and financial independence, it has become a factor that leads them to cheat. The more they pursue their career, the more they pursue other aspects in their lives such as sexual satisfaction.

Photo by stokpic (Pixabay)