Twitter Suffers Major Breach

Hackers Access Personal Information of Millions of Users

Twitter has recently confirmed that its platform experienced a massive data breach, with hackers gaining access to the personal data of 5.4 million user accounts. The stolen data includes physical locations, profile photos, email addresses, and phone numbers linked to user profiles. Reports indicate that the hackers are already trying to sell the data for about $30,000. Twitter has acknowledged the situation and is advising users on steps they can take to protect themselves.

The attack was carried out using a zero-day exploit, which refers to a tactic that involves exploiting software vulnerabilities that software or antivirus vendors are unaware of. AndroidPolice reports that the hackers exploited a vulnerability that allowed them to obtain Twitter account information by querying a phone number or email address linked to the account.

Twitter has recommended several steps that users can take to protect their personal data in the future. First, users should ensure that their Twitter account does not have a publicly known phone number or email address attached to it. Twitter also strongly advises enabling two-factor authentication using authentication apps or hardware security keys to protect user accounts in the event of a password breach.

In addition, Twitter has established an Office of Data Protection, which users can contact to inquire about the safety of their accounts or ask questions about how Twitter protects their personal information.

Unfortunately, Twitter is not the only company that has been hit by zero-day exploits. Google, Apple, and Microsoft have all experienced similar attacks over the last few years. Twitter deeply regrets the situation and acknowledges the risks that the breach poses to its users.