Twitter Hackers Accessed Direct Messages in 36 Accounts, Including Elected Official

The Twitter hackers who breached the accounts of Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and more than 100 other targets accessed the direct message inboxes of up to 36 of the victims, the social media giant announced on July 22. “We believe that for up to 36 of the 130 targeted accounts, the attackers accessed the [direct message] inbox, including one elected official in the Netherlands. To date, we have no indication that any other former or current elected official had their [direct messages] accessed,” the company said in a statement. Direct messages on Twitter are a private form of communication which is never displayed to the public. While Twitter did not reveal which accounts had their inboxes compromised, the news added significant suspense to the incident because the hack impacted the who’s-who in international business and entertainment, including Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett. Twitter’s disclosure that there is no indication that “any other former or current elected official had their DMs accessed,” suggests that the inboxes of Joe Biden and Mike Bloomberg, both former elected officials, were not broken into. Twitter said it had conducted a “complete review of all targeted accounts” before disclosing the news of the compromised inboxes. The company said it would be contacting the owners of the accounts.

On July 15, hackers gained access to 130 Twitter accounts and posted messages containing a common bitcoin scam. The attack generated just over $117,000, prompting cybersecurity experts to assess that the bitcoin scheme was a cover for a more sinister breach. Twitter said the hackers used social engineering, a low-tech approach which involves manipulating Twitter employees. The attackers gained access to an internal Twitter dashboard available only to support staff and used it to reset the passwords for 45 accounts. The hackers then logged into the accounts and sent tweets on their behalf. Twitter had announced earlier that the attackers also downloaded the complete Twitter data from eight accounts using the “Your Twitter Data” tool. None of the eight accounts were “verified”, the company said, meaning it did not impact the major business and politics luminaries. The FBI opened an investigation into the hack. Twitter said it is cooperating with authorities.

While Twitter has had security incidents in the past, the July 15 attack was by far the most brazen and far-reaching. In 2017, a rogue employee briefly deleted President Donald Trump’s account. Last year, a hacker gained access to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account and posted racist messages.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/twitter-hackers-accessed-direct-messages-in-36-accounts-including-elected-official_3435032.html

Indiana imposes statewide face mask mandate, punishable by up to 180 days in jail

Indiana’s governor has announced that all residents over 8 years of age are now required to wear a face mask intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, revealed the decision Wednesday and said it will go into effect on Monday. He added that the only exceptions to the rule will be for people with medical issues, those engaging in strenuous physical activity, and those who are eating and drinking, according to Wane 15 News.

Holcomb explained that there will not be “mask police” on the prowl for violators, but those who don't comply will be cited for a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines and 180 days in jail. "When I asked you months ago to hunker down, you did. We did. We slowed the spread. It's just factual. We protected our hospitals," Holcomb said. "While we have continued to fare better than many other states, now we have to hunker down in a different way. Which is why wearing masks will become the fashion of the day." The move comes on the same day that Indiana’s neighbor to the east, Ohio, announced it will also impose a statewide face mask requirement that goes into effect on Thursday.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday she is also signing an executive order requiring masks to be worn with few exceptions. While many health officials, including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, argue that masks are useful in stopping the spread of the virus, others point out studies showing the effect of cloth masks is negligible and, in some cases, counterproductive. Instances of people refusing to wear masks have gone viral in recent weeks, and some have gotten violent, including a recent situation in Texas where a man was arrested for pointing a gun at a fellow Walgreens customer over a mask dispute.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/indiana-imposes-statewide-face-mask-mandate-punishable-by-up-to-180-days-in-jail

>>10051353

Esper heads the DOD, doesn't he?