High-profile Twitter account hijackings leave questions about security – The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2013-05-29T18:16:34+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/4064881 https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 TC. Sottek <![CDATA[Dick Costolo says Twitter is responsible for protecting media from hacks, two-factor verification isn’t enough]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/29/4376704/twitter-dick-costolo-security-two-step 2013-05-29T14:16:34-04:00 2013-05-29T14:16:34-04:00
Dick Costolo D11

On stage at the D11 conference in California, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo took a question about the service's high-profile security problems, saying that the company takes the matter "super seriously," and that Twitter has "responsibility for high-authority accounts."

Twitter rolled out two-step authentication for accounts beginning on May 22nd - a long-awaited feature following a particularly nasty spell of hacks of organizations including the Associated Press, AFP, and The Guardian - but Costolo said today that the measure isn't enough. "We launched two factor authentication," Costolo said, "but two factor wouldn't stop some of these attacks …

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]]> Nathan Ingraham <![CDATA[Twitter finally rolling out two-step account verification]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/22/4356476/twitter-finally-rolling-out-two-step-account-verification 2013-05-22T15:22:28-04:00 2013-05-22T15:22:28-04:00
twitter stock

Twitter has announced that it is finally rolling out two-step authentication for accounts, a much-needed security feature that comes after several months of high-profile Twitter account hacks. This feature can be enabled in the Twitter settings menu for any account that has both a confirmed email address and a verified phone number. Once activated, you'll need to enter a six-digit code sent to your mobile phone via SMS after you sign in with your standard username and password.

Twitter says that applications that you've enabled using your Twitter login should be unaffected even after logging in with two-step authentication enabled. If you w …

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]]> Adi Robertson <![CDATA[Syrian Electronic Army hacks Financial Times website and Twitter feed]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/17/4339892/financial-times-website-hacked-by-syrian-electronic-army 2013-05-17T09:14:05-04:00 2013-05-17T09:14:05-04:00
via pbs.twimg.com

The Financial Times is the latest news organization to fall victim to the pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army. Reuters reports that FT's website and Twitter account were both compromised earlier this morning. The former had headlines replaced by a declaration that the SEA had successfully hacked the site, while the latter was used to post tweets attacking groups that seek to depose President Bashar Hafez al-Assad. Not long after, however, the tweets were removed and the headlines fixed, though FT has said it is still working on regaining full control.

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]]> Adi Robertson <![CDATA[The Onion Twitter hack twists satire into reality and back again]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/6/4305990/the-onion-twitter-hack-twists-satire-into-reality-and-back-again 2013-05-06T16:41:05-04:00 2013-05-06T16:41:05-04:00
via puu.sh

Posting a fake story on a reputable news source's Twitter feed can lead to momentary public panic, but what happens when you post real grievances to a fake news feed? Earlier today, readers of satirical news source The Onion began seeing strange tweets and Facebook messages on various social media accounts. "UN's Ban Ki Moon condemns Syria for being struck by israel: 'It was in the way of Jewish missiles,'" read one. "BREAKING: #TheOnion readership mass confusion as Syrian Electronic Army takes over. All demand a permanent column," said another. Most included links with the shortened Onion format, but none led to real articles.

Hacks are us …

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]]> Bryan Bishop <![CDATA[E! Online struck by hackers days after Twitter warns of ongoing threats (update)]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/4/4300384/e-online-struck-by-hackers-days-after-twitter-warns-of-ongoing-threats 2013-05-04T14:42:42-04:00 2013-05-04T14:42:42-04:00
Twitter logo 640

Earlier this week Twitter sent out a memo to news outlets, suggesting ways in which they could keep their accounts safe from hackers - but the official account for E! Online appears to have been hacked nonetheless. Earlier today, the account - which goes under the handle @eonline - posted several tweets attributing false statements to Justin Bieber. The Twitter account is currently suspended.

According to retweets and images currently circulating, a later tweet from @eonline named the Syrian Electronic Army as the party responsible for the self-described troll. A group going by the same name has claimed to be behind the takeover of several …

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]]> Nathan Ingraham <![CDATA[In wake of AP hack, Twitter looks to get serious about journalist relations]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4290650/in-wake-of-ap-hack-twitter-looks-to-get-serious-about-journalist 2013-05-01T15:58:07-04:00 2013-05-01T15:58:07-04:00
Twitter Android 4.0 App Update

A huge number of journalists already use Twitter, both for news-gathering and as a way to report on breaking events, but a new job posting indicates that the company is looking to further formalize its relationships with the journalistic community. The posting for a "head of news and journalism" calls for someone to "devise and execute the strategies that make Twitter indispensable to newsrooms and journalists" - the hire will work as a sort of liaison to to the broader journalistic community. The goal is for Twitter to execute a multi-year strategy to improve the quality of news on Twitter, enhance partnerships with journalists on Twitter a …

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]]> Carl Franzen <![CDATA[Hacked AP Twitter account shows need for new high-speed trading rules, US official says]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4290108/hacked-ap-twitter-account-shows-need-for-new-high-speed-trading-rules 2013-05-01T14:14:05-04:00 2013-05-01T14:14:05-04:00
ap hack

Minutes after the Associated Press's main Twitter account was hacked last month and a completely false tweet posted saying President Obama had been injured in explosions at the White House, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped almost 100 points. Though it quickly recovered moments later, the sudden downswing in stock prices is now being cited by one high-ranking US financial official as evidence of why there needs to be tighter regulations on high-speed trading.

"Bad actors putting out false information.

Gary Gensler, chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a government agency that regulates the futures market, brought up …

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]]> Bryan Bishop <![CDATA[Twitter warns news outlets of ongoing hacking threats, suggests more stringent security]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/29/4283854/twitter-warns-news-organizations-about-ongoing-hacking-threats 2013-04-29T19:00:25-04:00 2013-04-29T19:00:25-04:00
twitter stock

Several high-profile Twitter accounts have fallen victim to hacking attacks lately, and in response to the situation Twitter has issued a memo to media and news organizations suggesting steps they can take to protect themselves moving forward. Buzzfeed has posted the memo in its entirety, which asks organizations to help keep their accounts secure as "We believe that these attacks will continue."

According to Twitter, the hacking incidents seem to be the result of phishing attacks targeted at corporate email accounts. Twitter suggests that companies employ a pretty standard set of password security practices in response: changing current pa …

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]]> Chris Welch <![CDATA[The Guardian falls victim to Syrian Electronic Army, 11 Twitter accounts compromised]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/29/4282202/the-guardian-falls-victim-syrian-electronic-army-11-twitter-accounts-hacked 2013-04-29T12:17:01-04:00 2013-04-29T12:17:01-04:00
SEA Guardian hack

After successfully overtaking the primary Associated Press Twitter account - its highest-profile "hack" to date - the Syrian Electronic Army turned its sights on The Guardian over the weekend. The group targeted and temporarily gained access to 11 Guardian-related accounts, all of which were revealed on its website. Many of the accounts (including @GuardianBooks and @GuardianTravel) remain suspended as of today, though others seem to have been successfully recovered.

The Guardian staffer James Ball confirms that, much like in the AP attack, the SEA deployed cleverly-disguised phishing emails to carry out its most recent batch of hacks.

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]]> Jeff Blagdon <![CDATA[Twitter reportedly working on two-factor authentication]]> https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/23/4259342/twitter-reportedly-working-on-two-factor-authentication 2013-04-23T21:42:08-04:00 2013-04-23T21:42:08-04:00
twitter stock

Twitter is reportedly working on a two-factor authentication system. Wired writes that the company is currently testing the new security solution internally before rolling it out to the public.

Following a number of high-profile hacks, including that of Wired editor Mat Honan, several companies have shifted to two-factor authentication, including Apple, Microsoft, and others. Today's hack of the Associated Press account provides a vivid illustration of the need for some kind of enhanced security after a fraudulent claim of explosions at the White House sent the Dow plummeting by 100 points.

Two-factor authentication relies on two pieces of …

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