The popstar's Twitter account, which was hacked, tells her fans about her private parts
The popstar's Twitter account, which was hacked, tells her fans about her private parts
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Targeted: Barack Obama (top) and Britney Spears |
Courtesy hackers, popstar Britney Spears' fans were in for a surprise when her account on the popular logging website Twitter.com sent out a peculiar message: "HI Yall! [sic] Brit here, just wanted to update you all on the size of my vagina. It's about 4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth."
Well, Britney was not the only one whose Twitter account was attacked. The list of 33 Twitter accounts which were hacked included that of US president-elect Barack Obama as well.
Twitter played an important role in connecting people all over the world during the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, 2008. It helped in rescue and relief operations too, seeking help for those who needed blood and other medical help. It kept users informed about those who were admitted to various hospitals.
Company warning After a round of phishing (trying to steal data on Internet) incidents over the weekend, the Website has issued an advisory asking its users to change their passwords and login IDs.
A notice on the site read: "A number of high-profile Twitter accounts were compromised this morning, and fake/spam updates were sent on their behalf. We have identified the cause and blocked it."
"Britney Spears has been targeted by online pranksters who have crudely mocked her private parts," the company scribbled in its blog.
The offending message has now been removed from Spears' account.
How does it work?The hackers sent out emails resembling those one might receive from Twitter. They even provided a clickable link. The link redirected to a site masquerading as the Twitter front page. When a user logs into his account from this page, his/her account gets hacked.
"Some may have clicked the link and given their Twitter password to the phishing site. In those cases it would be possible for the phisher to send out messages on your behalf," the company warned in its message.
| Real-time response |
Twitter got more than six million hits worldwide during the Mumbai terror attack. Twitter users in Mumbai were providing instant eyewitness accounts of the tragedy.
Some of the sources estimated that the messages, known as "tweets", were being posted on the site at a rate of around 70 every five second after the news of the tragedy broke.u00a0
Twitter users took up the role of social workers by sending tweets pleading for blood donations for those admitted to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai, as stocks were in danger of running low in the wake of the attacks. |
