Following reports that a dataset containing the email addresses of hundreds of millions of Twitter users was leaked and put up for sale online ,Twitter conducted an investigation that concluded that the exposed data was not obtained through the exploitation of a vulnerability in its systems.
" In response to recent media reports about data being sold online, we conducted a thorough investigation and there is no evidence that the recently sold data came from the exploitation of a vulnerability in Twitter's systems Twitter user ," the company said
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He even referred to previous data leak incidents that occurred in previous months.
In August, the company confirmed that a data leak put 5.4 million Twitter users at risk, as hackers exploited a security vulnerability that had been patched in January 2022. Apparently, the breach had occurred earlier.
Due to this critical bug, attackers were able to link phone numbers and email addresses to Twitter user accounts.
According to Twitter's announcement yesterday, the same did not happen with the email addresses of 200 million Twitter users that were allegedly leaked online earlier this month. Twitter claims there is no evidence to suggest that this recent leak was made through the exploitation of the above bug.
"set data is related to the previously reported incident or data originating from an exploit of Twitter systems," Twitter said.
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“None of the datasets analyzed contained passwords or information that could lead to a password breach.“.
The company claims that the data was likely already available online through different sources.
However, Twitter failed to disclose in its statement yesterday how the leaked user data was accurately linked to the email addresses associated with accounts .
Twitter is actively working with Data Protection Authorities and other data regulators in multiple countries to provide more information about these alleged incidents.
In December 2022, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced that it had launched an investigation into GDPR compliance ,following reports that the personal information of 5.4 million Twitter users was leaked online.
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In December 2020, the DPC fined Twitter €450,000 after the company failed to notify the authority of a breachwithin the 72-hour timeframe required by the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Ways to protect Twitter accounts
Twitter says that although no passwords were revealed in this email leak, users should enable 2-factor authentication using an authenticator app or hardware security keys to protect account from unauthorized access.
It is also very important for Twitter users to be cautious of any kind of email communication. Hackers may exploit the leaked data to create convincing phishing, so users should be wary of emails that seem urgent or ask for personal information.
Data breaches are a serious threat. It is therefore important for all businesses – regardless of size – to recognise the risks associated with storing sensitive information digitally and to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from potential threats, such as data breaches or leaks. Prevention is the best protection, and companies can thus minimise their exposure to these risks and ensure that their customers remain safe from harm caused by their negligence.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
