Twitter attack affects thousands of users

By Claudine Beaumont, Technology Editor Published: 9:59AM GMT twenty-six February 2010

The 10 billionth twitter has been sent by the Twitter microblogging make make use of of

Twitter users have been warned not to click links in a little tweets, after the microblogging make make use of of fell plant to the second phishing conflict in a week.

Cyber criminals are utilizing the make make use of of to pretence people in to giving afar their username and cue for the site. Users have been reception approach messages from friends on the site that enclose a shortened link. When users click on that link, they are destined to a antagonistic website, that looks only identical to the Twitter home page, where they are stirred to come in their login details.

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As shortly as they strike enter, the antagonistic summary is sent to everybody on their Twitter friends list, assisting the fraud to widespread opposite the internet. Security experts fright that cyber criminals could make make use of of this login report to penetrate in to alternative accounts, or benefit remote entrance to a computer.

Earlier this week, a little Twitter users were reception approach messages that said: "This you????" and contained a link. Now an additional phishing message, celebration of the mass "hi, i"m 24/female/horny ... i have to get off here but summary me on my windows live follower name", is additionally swelling opposite the service.

"It"s bad sufficient if hackers benefit carry out of your Twitter account, but if you additionally make make use of of that same cue on alternative websites and the investigate shows that 33 per cent of people do that all the time afterwards they could entrance your Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook, eBay and PayPal accounts too," pronounced Graham Cluley, a security consultant with Sophos.

"Our recommendation is to be discreet about the links you click on, select a clever password, and, if you find that you"re swelling questionable messages from your Twitter account, shift your passwords immediately.

"You should additionally check the Settings/Connections area of your Twitter account. If there are any third-party applications you don"t recognize listed there, devaluate their accede to entrance your account."

Cluley pronounced that the spate of phishing attacks opposite Twitter could put a little people off utilizing the service.

"These attacks are apropos utterly an issue, and if they go on at their stream rate one has to consternation how most Twitter users will turn so fed up that they"ll close their account, up-sticks and move elsewhere," he said.

Twitter pronounced that it was wakeful of the problem, and was operative tough to secure the site opposite identical destiny attacks.

"Over the past couple of days, weve seen an enlarge in phishing attempts and are operative on resetting passwords for accounts that were affected," pronounced the association on the blog. "If you embrace a approach summary or see a summary with a word identical to "This you? " or "LOL is this you" followed by a link, greatfully do not click through; theres a phishing site on the alternative side.

"While simply reception this summary does not meant your comment is compromised, if you do click by and come in your username and password, youll wish to shift your password. If youve perceived this sort of spam from a friend, you might wish to rapt them to shift their password."