Twitter has detected “unusual access patterns” that led then to identify “unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data,” as reported in its blog on February 1, 2013.
Twitter was able to act promptly ensuring that Twitter user accounts were not further compromised.
Twitter disclosed in its blog:
“We discovered one live attack and were able to shut it down in process moments later. However, our investigation has thus far indicated that the attackers may have had access to limited user information – usernames, email addresses, session tokens and encrypted/salted versions of passwords – for approximately 250,000 users.”
Twitter has reset the passwords of these accounts and would notify them of the need to create a new password.
This security attacks happened also reportedly with large companies like New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
In view of these incidents, Twitter is encouraging users to disable their Java’s browser plugins.
DO NOT confuse JavaScript as a Java’s browser plugin, though, because they are two different things. For more instructions, read about how to disable your Java Browser Plugin.
Meanwhile, Twitter disclosed additional ways to protect your account by:
- Not making use of similar passwords in your account
- Creating longer passwords with combinations of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and symbols
- Using more than 10 characters or longer
You can read the correct way in creating passwords to protect your online accounts HERE.
Since there are billions of Twitter users, Twitter is lucky only a small percentage has been affected.
This should serve as a warning for online users that any site can be hacked. So, if your password is not the best you have created, change it now before it’s too late. It always pays to be careful and vigilant on Twitter and online.
