CALIFORNIA: Twitter blamed Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey’s mobile phone carrier for a hack of his Twitter account that sent out a stream of offensive tweets on Friday.
“The phone number associated with the account was compromised due to a security oversight by the mobile provider,” Twitter said in a comment posted by spokesman Brandon Borrman late Friday.
Borrman clarified Saturday that the company isn’t identifying the carrier, and so far none of the four major US mobile providers has admitted responsibility.
The security incident “allowed an unauthorized person to compose and send tweets via text message from the phone number. That issue is now resolved,” according to the Friday statement.
The clarification appears to support speculation that Dorsey was the victim of SIM swapping. That’s when someone convinces a mobile carrier to switch an existing number to a new SIM card they control. In this case, it may have required the hackers to have personal details that would allow them to convincingly impersonate one of Silicon Valley’s best-known figures.
(Agencies)
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