The initial point of entry wasn't a gap in Twitter's security. The hacker(s) gained access through a Google Apps account. The worry with a Google account is, it's web-based and therefore only as secure as the rest of the Internet. If yuor Google account is compromised and you use Google Docs in a serious commercial setting, your Twitter account will be the least of your worries.
AndyBeard
· 5 months ago
I think you have your facts wrong on what data was actually seen
They didn't get access to celebrity accounts on this, but personal details such as direct email addresses possibly to agents etc.
Tim Acheson
· 5 months ago
Some commentators say that user accounts were compromised:
Others accept Twitter's official line which is that the hacker only produced evidence of one account being hacked.
Either way, the hacker did apparently have had access to Twitter user accounts to some extent, and took a screenshot of at least one. Twitter's blog claimed that only that one user account was compromised.
AndyBeard
· 5 months ago
That is just a snippet from the PC World article which specifically doesn't mention any Twitter accounts being accessed, other than Twitter employees who had their Gmail compromised.
The only place you will find claims to people outside twitter being compromised (this time around) are are sensationalist headlines which are scraped together from other sources. Thing might appear in searches just due to keyword use, not because it actually happened.
lisalyne
· 5 months ago
I know that before, i'd rather not give away my passwords on the web.
tampapestcontrol
· 5 months ago
Lately I've also been thinking about all of the various apps requesting access to your Twitter account in order to function. Sure they use the api, but what's stopping some of these sites from being malicious with the user/pass information? Not much, far as I can tell.
Good point regarding the Viral TAF systems as well. A compromised Email addy is bad news.
rotem
· 5 months ago
The big issue here is that hackers get access through a google apps account.
techfreakstuff
· 5 months ago
Recently heard that most of the Twitter private documents were hacked by Hackers by using Google and brought to notice of Common man! Is this what we call Security? Twitter needs to grow up...But anyways, I love twitter!
Green Times
· 5 months ago
I'm a bit suspicious about Techcrunch publishing such an important information... Could it be in Twitter's interest?
mktgpro
· 5 months ago
Of course Twitter needs to be more cautious than before. Even otherwise, I am quite wary of entering my passwords to Viral Tell A Friend kind of applications.
Cali Detective
· 5 months ago
People seem to get lost in the app excitement and get sloppy about security. So happy to share personal where abouts, etc that they forget a certain discretion is still necessary.
Valley School Teacher
· 5 months ago
Yet does anyone really know the longterm damage that can be done by sharing so much about ourselves on something as permanent as the internet? Will the 2040 presidential nominees have twitter history from this year haunting them?
InsideSpurdy
· 4 months ago
I never use the "invite your friends" features. I can just as easily send a mass email myself without worrying about anyone else swipping my passwords.
celebtwitr
· 4 months ago
@ frankcrccd If you have a website and your on twitter it does get you more traffic but you have to work at it etc. @ spanishinspain Twitter is there it just depends how you use it, I wouldn't say it played a major role. I would certainly avoid viral on twitter. For anyone on Twitter don't twit me MLM grrr
Acai Berry
· 4 months ago
It is slightly worrying the number of sites that you can feed into twitter using your twitter account details. If one of those was to experience a problem, then all your data could be at risk very quickly!
All Comments
Thanks
http://www.timacheson.com/Blog/2009/jul/twitter...
The initial point of entry wasn't a gap in Twitter's security. The hacker(s) gained access through a Google Apps account. The worry with a Google account is, it's web-based and therefore only as secure as the rest of the Internet. If yuor Google account is compromised and you use Google Docs in a serious commercial setting, your Twitter account will be the least of your worries.
They didn't get access to celebrity accounts on this, but personal details such as direct email addresses possibly to agents etc.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelly-palmer/twi...
Others accept Twitter's official line which is that the hacker only produced evidence of one account being hacked.
Either way, the hacker did apparently have had access to Twitter user accounts to some extent, and took a screenshot of at least one. Twitter's blog claimed that only that one user account was compromised.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/168462/twitter_h...
The only place you will find claims to people outside twitter being compromised (this time around) are are sensationalist headlines which are scraped together from other sources.
Thing might appear in searches just due to keyword use, not because it actually happened.
Good point regarding the Viral TAF systems as well. A compromised Email addy is bad news.