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The history of one of the most high-profile attacks in the history of social networks and its consequences. Joseph James O’Connor ( PlugwalkJoe ) is one of the hackers who launched a massive attack on the social network Twitter last year and received five years in prison in the United States. He will also have to return to the victims almost 800 thousand dollars that he stole during cryptocurrency fraud.
In July 2020, O’Connor and his associates applied the social engineering method to deceive Twitter employees and gained access to the company's backend. Then they seized control of the accounts of Ilon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and more than 100 other famous individuals and organizations. They published false tweets on their behalf that they were ready to double any translations in bitcoins on their wallets. Thus, they raised about 120 thousand dollars from gullible users.
O’Connor also admitted to conducting an attack of the SIM-swapping type, which allows you to intercept calls and messages of the victim, as well as hacking a TikTok account with millions of subscribers. He was also accused of cybercreating two victims, including a minor.
O’Connor is not the only intruder involved in the Twitter attack. Earlier, 18-year-old Graham Ivan Clark ( Kirk ) was considered the main organizer of the attack. Two more suspects - Nima Fazeli ( Rolex ) and Mason Sheppard ( Chaewon ) - are waiting for their trial.
The attack on Twitter has become one of the most loud and visible in the history of cybercrime. She showed how vulnerable social networks are and how easily you can manipulate public opinion and people's trust. Cybersecurity experts urge companies to strengthen their systems and raise awareness among their employees about possible threats.
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In July 2020, O’Connor and his associates applied the social engineering method to deceive Twitter employees and gained access to the company's backend. Then they seized control of the accounts of Ilon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and more than 100 other famous individuals and organizations. They published false tweets on their behalf that they were ready to double any translations in bitcoins on their wallets. Thus, they raised about 120 thousand dollars from gullible users.
O’Connor also admitted to conducting an attack of the SIM-swapping type, which allows you to intercept calls and messages of the victim, as well as hacking a TikTok account with millions of subscribers. He was also accused of cybercreating two victims, including a minor.
O’Connor is not the only intruder involved in the Twitter attack. Earlier, 18-year-old Graham Ivan Clark ( Kirk ) was considered the main organizer of the attack. Two more suspects - Nima Fazeli ( Rolex ) and Mason Sheppard ( Chaewon ) - are waiting for their trial.
The attack on Twitter has become one of the most loud and visible in the history of cybercrime. She showed how vulnerable social networks are and how easily you can manipulate public opinion and people's trust. Cybersecurity experts urge companies to strengthen their systems and raise awareness among their employees about possible threats.
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