Recently, several verified and high-profile Twitter users all shared a suspicious message almost all at the same time. Included among them are big names such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk. The said tweet promised that anyone who will send any Bitcoin amount to a particular wallet ID mentioned on the tweet would receive a double amount of the Bitcoin they sent. At first glance, the twee screams of a scam. However, the accounts where it was posted are verified for certifiably wealthy individuals. For this reason, some users took a chance and sent Bitcoin to the wallet ID.
Quickly, the wallet was able to rack up over $120,000 in Bitcoin transactions. However, none of those that were sent were ever doubled or returned.
The incident was a massive security breach from Twitter. The social media giant quickly addressed the issue. Next, Twitter deleted the offending tweet and investigated the incident. All of the owners of the hacked verified Twitter accounts could not send tweets for a while. This is to prevent the fraudulent message from further propagating. The move also prevented the scam tweet from victimizing more individuals out of cryptocurrency.
Purchased Twitter Followers From Misleading Websites
In a tweet by Twitter Support, the company said that it is aware that the security incident affected some Twitter accounts. People still seem not to know where to safely buy Twitter followers. It also added that the said hacking is already under investigation and that Twitter is taking steps to fix it. This might have also happened to people who bought Twitter followers from dangerous scammy websites because they didn’t read reviews.
According to some early reports, the issue started when hackers were able to get access to an internal tool used by Twitter employees. In an official statement released by Twitter, social engineering played a significant role in the heist. However, other details are yet to be found from the official investigation.
This is a worrying event even to people who were not affected by the Bitcoin scam. After all, the incident was a large scale attack on one of the biggest social media platforms in the world as of the moment. If these hackers can poke at high-profile and verified accounts, there is a high chance for them to hack others as well.
Twitters Hacking Incidents Scare Followers
The recent hacking incident is also a little different than those that happened in the past. It is not difficult to imagine a famous individual, or their social media manager, reusing a password or clicking a phishing link.
Georgia Weidman, the author and founder of Bulb and Shevirah, digital security firms, had a statement about the issue. According to her, it is worth noting that none of the individuals who owned the affected accounts did something wrong. Still, the incident is an excellent time to reevaluate one’s own Twitter security. This is to make sure that none of us would be part of the next hack.
Below are some tips to secure your Twitter account:
Change Your Twitter Password From Time To Time
You need to be vigilant when it comes to your passwords. To prevent your Twitter account from being hacked, it is an excellent tactic to change your password from time to time.
In addition, it is also a good idea to make sure that the email address linked to your Twitter account is not compromised as well. This is to ensure that hackers will have no way to access your account.
Moreover, it would be best if you chose a strong password whenever you are setting up a new one. There are plenty of debates over what makes up an OK password. However, according to conventional wisdom, the longer your password is, the better. Besides, you should use a combination of upper and lowercases, symbols, as well as numbers. It is also a good idea to use strings of uncommon phrases or words.
Set Up Two-Factor Authentication For Your Account
When someone has accessed your account, they will be able to send tweets. Also, they will access all your information. If this happens, hackers will be able to use your personal information to deceive your followers.
To prevent hackers from getting your information on Twitter, you can set up two-factor authentication. This will make sure that no one can ever access your account without you knowing.
Two-factor authentication works by sending a notification to your account when someone is trying to log into your Twitter account. This requires a secondary verification whenever a new login is done to your account. The hacker will not be able to make a login without you allowing. You can think of two-factor authentication as your second line of defense between your Twitter account and a potential hack.
Always Check Your Recent Sessions And App Access
It is a good idea to frequently check your third-party apps as well as your recent logins. You will find this in Twitter’s Settings and Privacy. There, you will find the Data and Permissions options where the Apps and Settings are located.
The Apps and Settings option will allow you to see the third-party apps that are connected to your Twitter. Besides, you will be able to see what your recent sessions are. This will help you see whether there are actions done using your account. Revoke any access to apps that you do not recognize.
By keeping an eye on your account’s activity, you will be able to spot potential hack or trouble early on. For instance, a spike in activities like new messages from unknown people, lost or new followers, as well as a significant number of fresh tweets, is an indication that someone might have accessed your account.
One convenient Twitter feature is that you can locate your recent login history. Through this feature, you will be able to see whether someone accessed your account from an unfamiliar location or device.
Do Not Click On Weird Links And Suspicious DMs
If you received a DM from someone you do not know, never click on any links in it. This is especially true if the link is a shortened bitly link that has an unknown destination. If you click on such links, hackers will be able to get access to your account, thus use it to do malicious acts.
The massive Twitter hack happened from within, but this is still a good time to check on your security settings. Keeping your apps update can help stay secure.
We heard about that, truly sad!