7/17/2020 Hackers used credentials of some employees to access our internal systems: Twitter on Bitcoin scam - Times of India

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Hackers used credentials of some employees to access

our internal systems: Twitter on Bitcoin scam
TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 18, 2020, 10.36 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Social media giant Twitter on Saturday said that cyber
attackers targeted some of its employees through a social engineering
scheme and used their credentials to access its internal systems for
hacking multiple accounts in the Bitcoin scam.

"We believe attackers targeted certain Twitter employees through a social

engineering scheme. They manipulated a small number of employees and
used their credentials to access Twitter’s internal systems, including
getting through our two-factor protections," Twitter said in a statement.

Unidentified hackers targeted Twitter accounts of over 130 high profile

technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies on July
16.

The company also said that hackers were able to download account information for up to 8 accounts involved in the hack of its
systems this week and were able to reset passwords and take control of 45 of them and tweet from those accounts too.
However, it said none of them were verified accounts.

The cybercriminals sent bogus tweets from people like Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Mike Bloomberg and tech billionaires and
companies, including Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, Apple and Uber, offering to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to a
bitcoin address.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hackers-used-credentials-of-some-employees-to-access-our-internal-systems-twitter-on-bitcoin-scam/articleshowprint/77030611.cms 1/2
7/17/2020 Hackers used credentials of some employees to access our internal systems: Twitter on Bitcoin scam - Times of India

According to cyber security firms, at least 367 users transferred around $1,20,000 (over Rs 90 lakh) to hackers within two hours
of the attack.

Twitter further noted that it was holding back some of the details of the attack as it continues its investigation and reiterated
that it was working with impacted account owners.

(With agency inputs)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hackers-used-credentials-of-some-employees-to-access-our-internal-systems-twitter-on-bitcoin-scam/articleshowprint/77030611.cms 2/2