Unfortunately, just a couple days following the end of 2022, another data breach (Twitter data breach 2023 or Twitter email leak) has occurred. More than 200 million Twitter users had their email addresses posted on underground hacker sites.
The Twitter data breach might reveal the true identity of anonymous Twitter users and make it simpler for criminals to take over accounts. More than 400 million Twitter accounts were impacted by a leak last month, and that leak appears to be the same one that was dumped online this time around, albeit with some of the personal information removed. So, how can one of the world’s largest social media platforms keep getting hacked over and over again? Keep reading and find out everything that you need to know about the Twitter data breach 2023.
Twitter data breach 2023: New year, same old problems
Researchers warn that data from 200 million Twitter users have been acquired and made freely available on an underground hacker site. The 63 GB of data that was transferred to the Dark Web on January 4 includes public account details such as account name, handle, account creation date, and follower count.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE TWITTER HACK: https://t.co/05z8gQm9ZW pic.twitter.com/8sGpIMuOeN
— Hudson Rock (@RockHudsonRock) January 3, 2023
Experts in cyber security have warned that this might leave users vulnerable to extortion and expose those who have publicly criticized governments or powerful individuals on Twitter to possible exposure, arrest, or physical harm. If the accounts don’t have two-factor authentication, hackers can use the email addresses to try to reset the passwords and take over the accounts.
It’s likely that the data was collected in late 2021 when a security hole in Twitter’s system made it possible for anyone with a user’s email address or phone number to locate any account that had shared that information with Twitter.
The hacker responsible for the December breach had previously requested $200,000 in exchange for the return of the stolen data from Twitter, with the warning that if the demand was not met, the material would be made publicly available without payment.
Security experts warned that verified Twitter users whose accounts appeared to have been compromised in the Twitter email leak, or users with a large number of followers, would be particularly valuable targets as a result of the leak because they might be particularly influential celebrities or susceptible to extortion.
The best way for internet users to defend themselves against phishing is to use different passwords for each online service they use and to store all of those passwords in a central location. People should use caution when clicking on links in unsolicited emails and enable multi-factor authentication on all of their accounts.
I went to change my email address and Twitter isn't working. This hack puts activists and whistleblowers in danger. https://t.co/5SrSejgvO6
— Ian Linkletter (@Linkletter) January 5, 2023
The news of a significant Twitter data breach in 2023 may attract the attention of authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Twitter’s compliance with European data protection standards and a US consent order have been monitored by the data protection authority in Ireland, where the business has its European headquarters.
The leak of more than 200 million user accounts is one of the greatest data breaches in history, but it is just the most recent in a series of security vulnerabilities at Twitter that extends back more than a decade.
Who will be the new CEO of Twitter?
Outcomes of similar major data breaches: Equifax & T-Mobile
The credit reporting firm Equifax acknowledged on September 7, 2017, that one of its computer networks had had a data leak that had exposed the personal information of 143 million clients, which eventually rose to 147 million. These records included information about the customers’ names, residences, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and credit card numbers, all of which may be exploited for fraud and identity theft.
Equifax agreed to establish a fund to provide customers with free credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and cash compensation of up to $20,000 per to people harmed by the event, per the deal’s conditions. Additionally, the company must pay court fees and government fines.
Take a closer look at how data breaches effects companies: Equifax Data breach settlement
The cybersecurity vulnerability was first disclosed by T-Mobile and was made public on August 16, 2021. According to reports, almost 77 million consumers’ personally identifiable information was stolen due to the T-Mobile data breach. This contained database data such as addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, unique IMEIs and identification codes for client phones, etc.
If granted, the $350 million T-Mobile deal will represent US history’s second-largest payment for a data breach.
Take a closer look at how data breaches effects companies: T-Mobile Data Breach Settlement
Other settlements that made the news this year: Epic Games settlement, ATT settlement, Tiktok data privacy settlement, Snapchat privacy settlement, and Google location tracking lawsuit settlement
Data breaches and hacks are today’s biggest problems. Check out the latest data breaches for more information:
- CHI Health data breach
- Facebook data breach
- Uber security data breach
- American Airlines data breach
- Medibank cyber attack
- Binance hack
Is this Twitter email leak the final one we have to worry about? Unfortunately, we think it won’t be the last. Stay tuned for the latest news.
