How My Twitter Account Got Hacked

10/15/09 -- Yesterday, my Twitter account got hacked. My account sent direct messages to my followers suggesting that I "made $300 in one day" using a particular Web site.

Thankfully, @julioagarcia and @injurylitigator quickly pointed it out to me and I was able to change my passwords and end the invasion.

How did this happen? I had received a Twitter Direct Message (DM) from a follower of mine who happens to be an assignment editor at CNN. The DM suggested I check out a video through a link to a shortened url.

What would you do? If someone from CNN asks someone in my profession to view a video, we usually do it. So, I clicked on the link. My computer stalled a bit and then sent me to a strange Twitter page. Somehow, my username and password got collected and a few hours later I was inadvertently shilling for an Internet get rich scheme. Fortunately, there appears to be no lasting damage or loss of data.

So, what's the lesson here? We need to be extra vigilant using social media portals and tools. If something looks odd (like a DM from someone who doesn't normally DM you), be wary of it. I think it is also a good idea to regularly change your passwords on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

This also opened my eyes to one of the downsides of shortened urls (like tinyurl, bitly, etc.). We have become accustomed to blindly clicking on them -- particularly because they have proven to be so convenient for the micro-blogging applications like Twitter and status updates on other social media sites.

What I have learned is that I can't continue to participate in social media with a blissfully ignorant attitude about security. No one can.

--John


http://www.miamipublicrelations.com/