There are dozens of ways to hack a profile on social networks without having to have the last name Gates, Obama or Bezos. Anyone can become a target of attacks, although there are three major security gaps. According to Antonio Ramos, co-founder of Mundo Hacker, the attack on the Twitter accounts of certain celebrities may have its origin in previous attacks on large password databases.
According to the same expert, another way of assault is the use of shortened web links, common on social networks, which can lead to poisoned pages capable of hijacking the Twitter session or accessing certain information on the phone. And a third frequent system to meddle in other people’s Twitter profiles has its origin in carelessness of the users themselves, who do not log out of their accounts on their multiple devices, which increases the risk in case of loss or theft of the terminal. In that case, it would be enough for the hacker fan to change the password to become the new owner of the account.
Prevention measures against the aforementioned threats are easy to deduce, as Ramos explains: “Reinforce passwords with numbers, capital letters and special characters, but also update them periodically, at least once a year.” In this way, unpleasantness is avoided in the event that hackers steal the data of the users of any large company. At the same time, online services such as Twitter invite to complement security with a double authentication factor, with the sending of an SMS to the phone. The most popular social networks notify the user by short message when the system detects access from a new device or a different country than usual. Finally, the Mundo Hacker representative also encourages users to be aware of digital security, for example, by closing sessions when not in use, including public computers in libraries, for example.
All you have to do is ask the Google search engine how to attack Twitter so that hundreds of websites detail, step by step, the different nooks and crannies of the social network to impersonate the identity of the account, replicate the SIM card of the mobile phone and commit all kinds of misdeeds. Faced with the always latent threat of any online service, Twitter warns from its pages that the security of the accounts can be compromised in a handful of scenarios: if the user has entrusted the username and password to malicious third-party applications or websites ; if the Twitter account is vulnerable due to a weak password; if a virus or malware on your computer is harvesting passwords; or if the user is on a public network.
The communication platform also points out that unexpected updates do not always mean that the account has been hacked. “Occasionally, a third-party app may introduce a bug that causes unexpected behavior. If you see strange behavior, you can stop it by changing your password or revoking connections, since the app will no longer have access to your account.”
Then, for those who suspect intruders in their account, Twitter offers its particular help to protect the service. In this way, the platform of the little bird invites you to carry out two steps in the event that the user cannot start the service with his username and password: reset the password by requesting a new password activation form, with the help of the email associated with the Twitter account.
unexpected messages
Twitter points out some indications that encourage taking preventive measures, for example, when the tweeter notices unexpected messages published on their own; Receive notices stating that your account information has changed or when you realize that your password no longer works. Other experts consulted by elEconomista recommend opening a second account on Twitter to, from there, follow the main account with the activated notification option for all tweets.
The American company recommends revoking the connections of third-party applications that are not recognizable. He also advises to monitor the function of Tweet Deck equipment and programs that warn when a follower stops following, for example.
To protect your account, it’s also a good idea to scan your computers for viruses if unauthorized account behavior continues after you change your password. As a general rule, Twitter recommends installing security patches on the operating system and applications, as well as using a new strong password that has not been used elsewhere. Along with all of the above, Twitter invites users to use login verification.
Online identity theft
The main security gap is usually found in the users themselves. Social engineering techniques are used by hackers to trick their victims through their curiosity, ingenuity or carelessness. Possibly in this way the security springs that have affected a handful of Silicon Valley celebrities were blown up. Through deception and all kinds of stratagems, the crooks were able to access the credentials of some employees with privileges in the company’s control panels. That way you could manipulate any account. Other theories allude to the use of the so-called SIM swapping, which is a duplicate of the phone card taking advantage of two-factor authentication and two-step verification. In this way, intruders can access the text message or phone call sent by the platform and, immediately afterwards, enjoy a free track to intervene not only in Twitter accounts, but also in those of credit cards and online banking. Internet, for example.
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