Twitter Inc issued an alert to some users warning them that state-sponsored hackers may have tried to obtain sensitive data from their accounts, the company said, the first such warning by the micro blogging site.
The notice said there was no indication the hackers obtained sensitive information from what it said were a "small group of accounts" targeted.
It did not provide additional information about the attack or possible suspects in its investigation.
Twitter's notice is the latest amid concern about cyber attacks by state-sponsored organisations. Government agencies, businesses and media have all been hacked.
Motherboard, a tech news site, and the Financial Times earlier reported on Twitter's warning.
http://www.crystalspace3d.org/main/User:Backlinksor
One organisation that said it received the notice, a Winnipeg-based nonprofit called Coldhak, said the warning from Twitter came on Friday. The notice said the attackers may have been trying to obtain information such as "email addresses, IP addresses, and/or phone number
Twitter has issued its first ever warning about a possible hack by state-sponsored actors, as the microblogging social media site steps up its scrutiny of possible security breaches.
The company’s alert highlights growing concern over hacking activity backed by foreign governments after a year in which high-profile cyber attacks included the breach of 22 million personnel profiles at the US department of homeland security.
Other companies such as Google and Facebook already have warning systems to alert users who may be targeted by state-sponsored hackers.
Twitter sent a warning email to users that it believes may have been affected, stating that the hackers may have been trying to obtain telephone numbers, email and IP addresses.
State-sponsored hackers are the most sophisticated and well-resourced hackers. They often use cyber attacks to conduct espionage or steal intellectual property.
But most Twitter posts are public, suggesting the hackers may have been more interested in obtaining personal data – such as phone numbers – or finding a way to tweet through hijacked accounts.
Some of the users who tweeted about receiving the notice on Friday were cryptographers, security researchers, activists or journalists.
Many reacted on Twitter with surprise and often a sense of humour. “Remember the day when ‘state-sponsored actors’ meant the national performing arts company doing Shakespeare in the park?,” wrote user Mark Wodrich, whose profile states he is a “software security geek”.
SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter Inc issued an alert to some users warning them that state-sponsored hackers may have tried to obtain sensitive data from their accounts, the company said, the first such warning by the micro blogging site.
The notice said there was no indication the hackers obtained sensitive information from what it said were a "small group of accounts" targeted.
It did not provide additional information about the attack or possible suspects in its investigation.
http://community.thomsonreuters.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/267184
From hacking by individuals to state sponsored cyber attacks, we have come a long way in cyber security. In fact, state sponsored cyber attacks are fast outpacing the traditional cyber criminals in today’s world. Facebook and Google have already started warning their users about nation sponsored cyber attacks and now Twitter became the third tech company to follow suit.
Yesterday, a few Twitter users tweeted out an email they got from the social network’s security staff, in which they were warned of cyber-attacks on their account from what the team suspected to be a state-sponsored group.
Twitter has been subject of hack attacks from such state sponsored entities because it hosts accounts of thousands of journalists, political dissidents and other opponents. As said above, until now, Google and more recently Facebook have been the only two companies that have warned users of possible state-sponsored attacks.
The notice said there was no indication the hackers obtained sensitive information from what it said were a "small group of accounts" targeted.
It did not provide additional information about the attack or possible suspects in its investigation.
Twitter's notice is the latest amid concern about cyber attacks by state-sponsored organisations. Government agencies, businesses and media have all been hacked.
Motherboard, a tech news site, and the Financial Times earlier reported on Twitter's warning.
http://www.crystalspace3d.org/main/User:Backlinksor
One organisation that said it received the notice, a Winnipeg-based nonprofit called Coldhak, said the warning from Twitter came on Friday. The notice said the attackers may have been trying to obtain information such as "email addresses, IP addresses, and/or phone number
Twitter has issued its first ever warning about a possible hack by state-sponsored actors, as the microblogging social media site steps up its scrutiny of possible security breaches.
The company’s alert highlights growing concern over hacking activity backed by foreign governments after a year in which high-profile cyber attacks included the breach of 22 million personnel profiles at the US department of homeland security.
Other companies such as Google and Facebook already have warning systems to alert users who may be targeted by state-sponsored hackers.
Twitter sent a warning email to users that it believes may have been affected, stating that the hackers may have been trying to obtain telephone numbers, email and IP addresses.
State-sponsored hackers are the most sophisticated and well-resourced hackers. They often use cyber attacks to conduct espionage or steal intellectual property.
But most Twitter posts are public, suggesting the hackers may have been more interested in obtaining personal data – such as phone numbers – or finding a way to tweet through hijacked accounts.
Some of the users who tweeted about receiving the notice on Friday were cryptographers, security researchers, activists or journalists.
Many reacted on Twitter with surprise and often a sense of humour. “Remember the day when ‘state-sponsored actors’ meant the national performing arts company doing Shakespeare in the park?,” wrote user Mark Wodrich, whose profile states he is a “software security geek”.
SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter Inc issued an alert to some users warning them that state-sponsored hackers may have tried to obtain sensitive data from their accounts, the company said, the first such warning by the micro blogging site.
The notice said there was no indication the hackers obtained sensitive information from what it said were a "small group of accounts" targeted.
It did not provide additional information about the attack or possible suspects in its investigation.
http://community.thomsonreuters.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/267184
From hacking by individuals to state sponsored cyber attacks, we have come a long way in cyber security. In fact, state sponsored cyber attacks are fast outpacing the traditional cyber criminals in today’s world. Facebook and Google have already started warning their users about nation sponsored cyber attacks and now Twitter became the third tech company to follow suit.
Yesterday, a few Twitter users tweeted out an email they got from the social network’s security staff, in which they were warned of cyber-attacks on their account from what the team suspected to be a state-sponsored group.
Twitter has been subject of hack attacks from such state sponsored entities because it hosts accounts of thousands of journalists, political dissidents and other opponents. As said above, until now, Google and more recently Facebook have been the only two companies that have warned users of possible state-sponsored attacks.
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