Once again, the main stream media sensationalizes a story by inserting scary prose. Yes, Twitter had an attack of their computers this week. Yes, sensitive documents were stolen. But NO, this was not a major breach of Twitter user accounts. And No, this does not mean online accounts are inherently unsafe.
I think Twitter founder, Biz Stone, summed up the situation best in this statement:
“This attack had nothing to do with any vulnerability in Google Apps, which we continue to use,” he said in a blog entry yesterday. “This is more about Twitter being in enough of a spotlight that folks who work here can become targets. This was not a hack on the Twitter service, it was a personal attack followed by the theft of private company documents.”
What the public should take from this latest security snafu is how important it is to create strong passwords and change them often. You can find tons of good tips here at HelpMeRick.com on how to best manage your passwords.
For a good article about the Twitter situation, read this story from Computer World: Hacker break-in of Twitter e-mail yields secret docs.
I’ve had to change my password 10 times in the last 24 hours. Every time I exit out of Twitter and I log back in Twitter says my account is locked. UGH! Then I recreate a new password and it starts all over again. Any advise?
It seems that Twitter is definitely going through some growing pains. Your account may have been compromised enough, that you might want to create a new one, with a new email address. Unfortunately, not my expertise though. Check this link for some good information: http://help.twitter.com/forums/31935/entries/67373
Thanks Rick. I appreciate your help!!! ~ Dawn
You are welcome.
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