PayPal UK’s Twitter account hacked
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:25 pmIn another high-profile Twitter attack, hackers have hijacked PayPal UK's Twitter account and posted tweets critical of the online payment processing company.
The tweets, posted on Tuesday, criticised the eBay subsidiary for its poor security and provided links to anti-PayPal website PayPal Sucks, which provides forums to post complaints and tips on how to resolve disputes.
Some of the tweets accused PayPal of freezing an account for no reason, according to IDG news.
PayPal confirmed one of its UK Twitter accounts was hacked, but said the account is run separately from the PayPal UK site and no customer data was affected, the report said.
The PayPal UK Twitter hack comes within days of the Twitter account of Fox News in the US being compromised, with hackers posting tweets claiming President Barack Obama had been shot.
Twitter has made no official response to the hacks of the two high-profile accounts, but pundits say the incidents could raise doubts about the security of Twitter as a means of public communication.
High-profile organisations like Fox News have a massive online presence and a vital reputation to uphold, said Paul Vlissidis, technical director at NGS Secure, an NCC Group company.
"Hacks like this underline that cyber attacks don't have to be about stealing data to be damaging. Reputation may be a less tangible asset than lists of passwords and personal details, but when news can travel this fast it is just as much of a technological vulnerability," said Paul Vlissidis.
Warwick Ashford
Wednesday 06 July 2011 10:36 http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/ ... hacked.htm
The tweets, posted on Tuesday, criticised the eBay subsidiary for its poor security and provided links to anti-PayPal website PayPal Sucks, which provides forums to post complaints and tips on how to resolve disputes.
Some of the tweets accused PayPal of freezing an account for no reason, according to IDG news.
PayPal confirmed one of its UK Twitter accounts was hacked, but said the account is run separately from the PayPal UK site and no customer data was affected, the report said.
The PayPal UK Twitter hack comes within days of the Twitter account of Fox News in the US being compromised, with hackers posting tweets claiming President Barack Obama had been shot.
Twitter has made no official response to the hacks of the two high-profile accounts, but pundits say the incidents could raise doubts about the security of Twitter as a means of public communication.
High-profile organisations like Fox News have a massive online presence and a vital reputation to uphold, said Paul Vlissidis, technical director at NGS Secure, an NCC Group company.
"Hacks like this underline that cyber attacks don't have to be about stealing data to be damaging. Reputation may be a less tangible asset than lists of passwords and personal details, but when news can travel this fast it is just as much of a technological vulnerability," said Paul Vlissidis.
Warwick Ashford
Wednesday 06 July 2011 10:36 http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/ ... hacked.htm