David Emm, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab , said after the disclosure of the breach of Twitter user accounts via the Twitter Counter application:
"As it became known today, Twitter users via a third-party application, “ Twitter Counter ,” may have had their accounts compromised with messages from political activists. If true, it is proof of how careful people need to be not only with their own security practices, but also with those of their suppliers and partners." 
If businesses or consumers choose to use third‑party applications that provide useful and necessary services, they could very well at the same time consent to their full control by a third party.
This is a clear example of where a third-party provider’s vulnerability has had a huge impact, not just on the provider itself, but also on Twitter and thousands of its users, including some high-profile businesses and organisations. If Twitter users believe their account has been compromised, they should change their password immediately. However, it is important that people understand the permissions they are consenting to when downloading apps. According to a recent Kaspersky Lab survey , 63% of consumers fail to read the license agreement carefully before installing a new app on their phone, and one in five (20%) do not read the messages when installing apps. This means that an alarming number of people are leaving their privacy – and the data stored on their mobile phone – exposed to digital threats due to poor app security practices.
In order to protect themselves, people must:
- To «download» applications that come only from trusted sources
- To wisely choose the applications they want to install on their device
- To read the license carefully during the installation process
- To read the list of permissions an application requests carefully. Not to simply “click” the “next” option during installation, without first checking what they consent to
- To use a digital security solution that will protect their device from digital threats
As a best practice, Kaspersky Lab advises app developers to aim to be as transparent as possible in how they present their licensing requests, to make people’s decisions easier.”
