Carl's Computer Care, LLC Logo
CALL US
(225) 315-3498
13018 LA-431
St. Amant, LA 70774
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Ticket Status
  • Services
  • iPhone Repair
  • News
  • Reviews

Twitter Passwords Exposed: Change Yours Right Now

May 4, 2018 by Carl VanOrden

Twitter Passwords Exposed: Change Yours Right Now

Twitter Password Hack, Credit: Rizhka Nazar/ShutterstockTwitter announced today (May 3) that it had accidentally “unmasked” user’s Twitter passwords by storing them unencrypted in an internal log file.
The company didn’t say how many user accounts were involved or how long the possible exposure lasted. But the company did say it had fixed the mistake and that there was no evidence the Twitter passwords were ever accessed without authorization, or that there was any kind of data breach.

How long the “unmasking” lasted is crucial. If it was one day, you probably needn’t worry about changing your password. If it was six months, you should consider it, just as a precaution. If the passwords lay exposed for 10 years, then you definitely need to. But as of now, Twitter isn’t saying.

MORE: Here’s the One Gmail Setting You Should Activate Now

The least you should do is to turn on Twitter’s two-factor authentication option, or “login verification,” if you haven’t already. Click or tap your Twitter icon on the website or mobile app and select “Settings and Privacy” from the resulting menu. Select “Login verification” under Security on the website, or Account > Security on the mobile app, and follow the directions to set up two-factor authentication.

The website also gives you the option to “require personal information to reset your password,” such as by providing an email address or a phone number, and you should choose that option.

“We recently found a bug that stored passwords unmasked in an internal log,” stated a tweet from the official Twitter Support account at 4:04 pm EDT Thursday. “We fixed the bug and have no indication of a breach or misuse by anyone. As a precaution, consider changing your password on all services where you’ve used this password.”

A linked blog posting explained that Twitter normally “hashes” passwords using the Bcrypt hashing algorithm, which is very strong and has never been compromised to our knowledge.

Hashes are a form of one-way encryption — input of any length results in a seemingly irreversible jumble of letters and numbers. Most online services keep hashes of user passwords instead of the passwords themselves. When you log in, whatever you enter in the password field is quickly run through the same hashing algorithm and then compared to your hashed password on file.

MORE: Essential Tips to Avoid Getting Hacked

“Due to a bug, passwords were written to an internal log before completing the hashing process,” the blog posting states. “We found this error ourselves, removed the passwords, and are implementing plans to prevent this bug from happening again.”

The posting goes on to say that users should change their passwords on Twitter and anywhere else they’d use their Twitter passwords, and that the replacement password should be strong and unique. It also recommends using a password manager.

Again, we don’t know how long the file with the plaintext passwords existed, so we have no idea how much risk you run if you don’t change your password. The fact that Twitter suggests you do could indicate that the risk is serious — or that the company is simply covering its butt. But changing your Twitter password probably couldn’t hurt.

From:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/twitter-password-woes,news-27135.html

Need help? Carl’s Computer Care can help make sure you are safe and secure. Contact us today or give us a call at (225) 315-3498

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Share:

Business Hours:

Come visit us today!

Mon-Fri : 9:00am-5:00pm
Sat : CLOSED
Sun : CLOSED

Recent Posts

  • Sales Teams, Get Ready to Ditch Data Entry… Introducing Microsoft Viva Sales
  • Simple Steps to Increase Endpoint Security
  • 6 Reasons Smaller Businesses are Bigger Targets for Ransomware
  • What is Microsoft Defender for Individuals All About?
  • What You Need To Check Now That Internet Explorer Just Lost Security Support

Hear what our awesome clients have to say!

  • 2023-06-07
         
    I have always had great customer service from them coming to the house to fix networking problems, fixing a computer I was building and fixing a couple of laptops and cell phones.
    Rob Gould
    View full review here
  • 2023-05-25
         
    Very prossional!
    James Dickerson
    View full review here
  • 2023-05-01
         
    Very quick, detailed service! The issues with my computer were discussed and we went over the options.
    Jesse Newsom
    View full review here
  • 2023-03-10
         
    I've been doing business with Carl's Computer Care for years. so if you're in Ascension Parish, go see Carl's Computer Care.
    Niki Ledger
    View full review here
  • 2023-02-16
         
    Carol Cotten
    View full review here
  • 2023-02-13
         
    Carl's Computers is an excellent choice for any of your IT needs. have had a couple issues done, recently a HP.
    Randall Link
    View full review here
  • 2023-02-10
         
    I can always count on Carl's computers company to solve all my computers needs and his prices are very reasonable
    Ken Dochenetz
    View full review here
  • 2022-12-03
         
    Quick, courteous, reasonable. I was treated like a person, not a number.
    John Mahat Marchand
    View full review here
  • 2022-10-17
         
    I used Carl’s Computer Care for my laptop. They were so nice and professional. They quickly gave me a quote for repair, and had my laptop ready to go and...
    Courtney Hilliard Morgan
    View full review here
  • 2022-10-12
         
    They were very nice and informative about what might be the problem.After diagnosis of the issue I was notified and explained what had happened.
    Tracy Gonzales
    View full review here
Showing 1 to 10 of 100 entries
Next »
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Ticket Status
  • Services
  • iPhone Repair
  • News
  • Reviews

Recent Posts

  • Sales Teams, Get Ready to Ditch Data Entry… Introducing Microsoft Viva Sales
  • Simple Steps to Increase Endpoint Security
  • 6 Reasons Smaller Businesses are Bigger Targets for Ransomware
  • What is Microsoft Defender for Individuals All About?
  • What You Need To Check Now That Internet Explorer Just Lost Security Support

Here’s what our awesome client’s are saying about us!

2023-06-07
     
I have always had great customer service from them coming to the house to fix networking problems, fixing a computer I was building and fixing a couple of laptops and cell phones.
Rob Gould
View full review here
2023-05-25
     
Very prossional!
James Dickerson
View full review here
Showing 1 to 2 of 100 entries
Next »

Carl's Computer Care, LLC

(225) 315-3498
13018 LA-431
St. Amant, LA 70774

FOLLOW US

VISIT US

Copyright © 2023 · Carl's Computer Care, LLC · 13018 LA-431, St. Amant, LA 70774