In the age of passwords and countless online accounts, it would appear that even the most informed are at risk! Last week the Digital Tattoo Project fell victim to a Twitter hacking. We first became aware of the issue when we noticed that the Twitter name of the account in question had been changed to the name of an individual, and that past tweets had beendeleted. Upon trying to login, we discovered that the password had been changed, and that we were unable to access the account.
Our team reacted by immediately contacting Twitter about the hijacking. Twitter responded within 24 hours, effectively restoring our access to the account. We took precautions by changing the password to a long sequence of randomized numbers and letters, one that we thought would be impossible to guess. Alas, within another 24 hours period the account had effectively been re-possessed by the same individual who had originally hacked it.
We have re-contacted Twitter, but have not heard back from them within the past few days. As of the time of writing, we are unaware of how the account was once again compromised following the password change. Given the strength of the second password, it seems impossible that it could have been guessed. We are exploring the possibility that the account may have been accessed via some other means.
As unfortunate as this incident was, it serves as a stark reminder of what is at stake with any kind of password-protected online account. It appears that any account, no matter their reach, reputation, or content, can fall victim to this kind of incident. From the Associated Press to Burger King and Britney Spears, some of Twitter’s most valued and influential clients have experienced security breaches. In the case of the Digital Tattoo hacking, it is likely that the account was targeted by an individual who specializes in taking over accounts and selling them for the value of their followers.
The best takeaway from this experience is a steadfast reminder to protect your passwords, and, as always, exercise caution whenever using public services online.
We are currently in the process of starting up a new Digital Tattoo twitter account. Please follow @DTatUBC for all upcoming Digital Tattoo updates.
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