Twitter resetting passwords due to alleged security threat

If you are receiving an email from Twitter prompting you to change your password, then it’s probably best to heed what the company is saying. After all, it’s better to be safe than to compromise. For some reason, Twitter has reportedly sent emails to a number of users asking them to change their passwords because of a potential security threat. The email reads, “Twitter believes that your account may have been compromised by a Web site or service not associated with Twitter. We’ve reset your password to prevent others from accessing your account.”

Although the purported security threat is currently a mystery, TechCrunch is reporting that its own Twitter account has been compromised and was used by a spammer to promote some “work from home” scams. Meanwhile, Voice of America, the external broadcast institution of the U.S. federal government, says that several China-based foreign journalists and analysts are reporting an attempted hacking of their accounts as “China’s Communist Party begins a sensitive meeting that will set in motion a once-a-decade leadership transition.” Thankfully, Twitter has released an official statement apologizing for the commotion. Twitter’s official statement reads:

We’re committed to keeping Twitter a safe and open community. As part of that commitment, in instances when we believe an account may have been compromised, we reset the password and send an email letting the account owner know this has happened along with information about creating a new password. This is a routine part of our processes to protect our users.

In this case, we unintentionally reset passwords of a larger number of accounts, beyond those that we believed to have been compromised. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused.

As always, we recommend that people review these tips on how to keep their Twitter accounts secure: https://support.twitter.com/articles/76036-keeping-your-account-secure#

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Web
Tags: Security, Twitter