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Hackers Break Into Ringo Starr's Twitter Account With Simple Password Reset

Posted by timothy on from the |\\/|`/5\\|/33+-10|2|) dept.

blottsie writes: Ringo Starr's account was compromised by a hacker operating under the username "af," who spoke to the Daily Dot about the breach. The hacker says he gained access to an email account associated with Doug Brasch, senior director of digital marketing at Universal Music Group, who managed Starr's Twitter account. He simply used an email password reset to gain access.

8 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Email got hacked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    so the real hack was the email account not twitter?

    1. Re:Email got hacked by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 5, Funny

      so the real hack was the email account not twitter?

      Exactly. If it was a "simple Password reset" it would have been:
      Security question: What's your favorite band?
      Answer: The Beatles.

  2. 31337 by JesseEnjaian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When did the word "hacker" become synonymous with "being a douchebag with computers?" I missed this cultural shift somewhere.

    1. Re:31337 by malditaenvidia · · Score: 4, Informative

      Around the late 90's, if I recall correctly.

  3. E-mail is the universal key by shawn2772 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I occasionally run into people who don't believe they need to be very careful with their e-mail security, because "it's only e-mail, it's not like my bank account or anything". But given that virtually every other online account you create uses e-mail to manage password reset, it is your bank account. And everything else.

    Use a good password on your e-mail account, and enable two-factor authentication. If your e-mail provider doesn't offer 2FA, or offers a form of it that's too inconvenient to use, get a better e-mail provider. #emailmatters

    1. Re:E-mail is the universal key by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      #emailmatters

      #hashtagsareretarded

    2. Re:E-mail is the universal key by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 2

      As for 2FA there's no way I'm giving my phone number to $email_provider

      Well texts are far from being the ONLY way to get 2FA but beyond that, perhaps you're too paranoid to be on the internet?

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  4. Re:It's handled by a marketing droid by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 2

    Probably quite a lot of them. You don't actually think celebrities are making all those posts to Facebook and Twitter themselves, right?