Spammers hack New York Times account on Twitter

Sophos is reminding Twitter users of the importance of careful password choice and protection, following news that a Twitter account of the New York Times has been targeted by attackers who used the account to spam 510,000 followers.

The Twitter account of ‘The Moment’ fashion blog, which has since been brought back under control, was used to post the following message:

“everyone visit [LINK REMOVED] for 100% FREE webcam girls/guys doing anything you ask them in the chat, I love it personally.”

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos said:

This is just the latest in a long line of attacks on high profile Twitter accounts. These accounts are a prime target for hackers, as if just a small percentage of followers click a link in a spam message then it will have been worth their while. Users should be cautious when clicking on links in Tweets, particularly those that have been created with link shortening services, as they may find themselves redirected to offensive or malware infected websites.

Sophos advises computer users to avoid using dictionary words as passwords and to use different passwords for all their online accounts.