InfoSearched
Jul.16 — A Twitter hack has hit prominent political and business leaders in a bitcoin scam. Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Elon Musk were among those affected.
The accounts sent out tweets promising to double the money of anyone sending funds via bitcoin within 30 minutes.
What new security measures has Twitter taken since the incident?
Prominent U.S. Twitter Accounts Hacked
On July 15, 2020, a group of hackers targeted and hacked into several high-profile Twitter accounts belonging to prominent individuals and companies in the United States. The hacked accounts included those of former President Barack Obama, Joe Biden (the current Democratic presidential candidate), Elon Musk (the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX), Bill Gates (the co-founder of Microsoft), Kanye West (the rapper and fashion designer), Apple, and Uber, among others.
The hackers used these accounts to perpetrate a Bitcoin scam that promised followers that any amount of Bitcoin sent to a specific address would be doubled and returned. The hackers also tweeted false statements and messages through the compromised accounts, including threats of nuclear war, racist and sexist comments, and other inflammatory statements. Twitter responded quickly to the breach and took down the majority of affected accounts within hours of the initial attack.
The hacking of these prominent accounts raised serious concerns about Twitter’s security protocols and highlighted the increasing risk of cyberattacks targeting high-profile individuals and companies. The scale and sophistication of the attack demonstrated the potential damage that malicious actors can inflict through social media platforms, which are often used to disseminate important and sensitive information to millions of people.
Twitter apologized for the breach and assured its users that it would conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause and extent of the security breach. In a statement, Twitter acknowledged that the hack was a coordinated social engineering attack on Twitter’s employees who had access to internal systems and tools. The attackers used phishing techniques to trick these employees into revealing their login credentials and accessing customer data.
The incident has prompted Twitter to reassess its security protocols and implement additional measures to prevent cyberattacks in the future. The company has also taken steps to improve the authentication process for verified accounts, which are often targeted by hackers due to their high visibility and credibility.
The hack of prominent U.S. Twitter accounts serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of cybersecurity in an increasingly digital world. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and frequent, it is crucial for individuals and organizations to take proactive steps to safeguard their data and systems from potential threats. Effective security measures can mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and help protect us all from malicious actors seeking to cause harm or disrupt our daily lives.
In conclusion, the hacking of prominent U.S. Twitter accounts is a wake-up call for individuals and companies to become more vigilant about cybersecurity. Despite the swift and decisive response from Twitter, the incident underscores the need for better protection and more robust security measures to prevent future breaches from occurring. By staying informed about the latest threats and best practices, we can work together to build a safer and more secure online environment for everyone.
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