Twitter accounts hacked into

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21304049

A quarter of a million Twitter users have had their accounts hacked in the latest of a string of high-profile internet security breaches.

Twitter's information security director Bob Lord said about 250,000 users' passwords had been stolen, as well as usernames, emails and other data.

Affected users have had passwords invalidated and have been sent emails informing them.

Mr Lord said the attack "was not the work of amateurs".

He said it appeared similar to recent attacks on the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

The US newspapers reported that their computer systems had been breached by China-based hackers.

'Not isolated'

Mr Lord said in a blog post Twitter had discovered unauthorised attempts to access data held by the website, including one attack that was identified and stopped moments after it was detected.

The biggest worry for most of Twitter's 200 million active users is not this attack per se, but the additional new "phishing" scams the attack has already inspired.

Since Twitter users now know to be on the lookout for emails asking them to change their passwords, criminals are sending out very similar messages.

If users click on the links in those they risk - once again - having their account hacked.

Don't click on links in emails asking you to change your password.

Go directly to the web site, log in normally, and change it using the instructions without clicking on email links.
"This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident," he wrote.

Mr Lord did not say who had carried out the attack, but added: "The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organisations have also been recently similarly attacked."

"For that reason we felt that it was important to publicise this attack while we still gather information, and we are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the internet safer for all users."

Internet security specialist Graham Cluley warned Twitter's announcement that emails would be sent to users may prompt a spate of spam emails "phishing" for sensitive information.

He says people should be cautious about opening emails which appear to be from Twitter.

"You have to be careful if you get hold of one of these emails because, of course, it could equally be a phishing attack - it could be someone pretending to be Twitter.

"So, log into the Twitter site as normal and try and log in to your account and, if there's a problem, that's when you actually have to try and reset your password."

Another expert in online security, Professor Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey, warned users to be wary of messages sent them by the hackers via Twitter itself.

"They can then send what's called direct messages," he said. "They can put malicious links in those."

"It really looks like it's coming from someone you know and you might respond to it, you'd go to the site and all of a sudden you find that actually you've got some malware on your machine which is then stealing your bank details or whatever."

On Thursday the New York Times linked the attack to a story it published alleging relatives of former Premier Wen Jiabao controlled assets worth billions of dollars.

China's foreign ministry dismissed the New York Times' accusations as "groundless" and "totally irresponsible".

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

Dont have a Twitter account Willow, but you have to be on your toes if you do use any of the modern technology. I personally am getting fed up of hearing about all this hacking as I like to see fair play in most things.
Surely the big Companies who take our information should start getting in front of all this and employ the best IT people.
What annoys me is that it doesnt matter who you seek on the net for any goods or services always ask you for your e mail address telephone number address etc. Its about time these Companies used some kind of cover up to protect their customers otherwise it will be something people will stop using in fear of being taken for a ride. I dont think the internet started off as being a thing that people joined to be outed in some way, but I personally am getting really fed up of it and feel that eventually I will give up and wipe myself off the net altogether through frustration of the powers that be cannot resolve all of this.

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

I had a look at Twitter out of curiosity but still really don't understand the concept...

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

I'll leave the 'twittering' to the birds.....

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

I do follow my ex-boss who is an MP! I can't be bothered with it though

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

Anybody who uses a global networking site does so at their own risk, including Facebook.

I would never dream of going onto such a site as the risks have been very well documented.

I have never even bought anything online and never will, and I certainly wouldn't give personal information such as a phone number, home address, email address or anything else so personal and I find it very difficult to believe that people would do that knowing the dangers of doing so. Are people really so gullible (stupid)?

These places are NOT safe. Hell's teeth! I'm 63 years old, but even I know the dangers of the internet.

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

Nothing is 100% safe including forums like this one. When you communicate in cyber space you have to be aware that many people are not whom you think them to be. Some people think they have made a friend/s on a forum and are happy to share personal details with them. However unless they have actually met them in the flesh they have absolutely no idea if they are actually the people you think they are.

I had a bad experience when I was new to the Net in the late 90s and gave £1000 to a person I befriended on a forum, whom I believed to be in desperate need. It turned out the person had led me up the garden path. Of course I was an absolute idiot to fall for it without checking them out much more thoroughly first. I had spoken to them on the phone as well, and thought they were genuine. My family couldn't believe how VERY stupid I had been. I was interviewed by the late John Peel for his Radio 4 Saturday morning show in 2001, I think it was. I wanted to highlight how wary people should be when making Internet 'friends'.

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

For Once Willow I'm in Full Agreement with You. Sorry to Hear you were Conned out of your Money. I too am very Carefull and very few People I've become Friendly with online even have my Phone No and when I'm up in Thurso I never give out my Partners No or Address...just the Area. I've met a few People over the Years I've been Online and mostly we got on Great, but a Couple I wasn't Comfortable with and I didn't have anymore Contact with them.

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

That was a dreadful experience, Willow, whoever it was won't benefit in the long run - what goes around in life, comes around. A very expensive lesson for you to learn.

Re: Twitter accounts hacked into

I won't have anything to do with Twitter or Facebook as I have never trusted their security and guess what I was right. They are too big and your details will never be safe with them IMO.