Earlier today some confidential documents from Twitter began floating around the blogosphere. It appears the documents were obtained via a hacked employee Google account from several months ago.
Do you think this hack on Twitter will have any lasting impact? Tell us what you think.
To help explain the incident, and try to squash the potential hazardous pr matter, Biz Stone (@Biz) updated the company blog to address certain issues stemming from the hack. In an effort minimize the boredom; I’ll only post the meaningful parts:
Is your Twitter account safe?
“It’s important to note that the stolen documents which where downloaded and offered to various blogs and publications are not Twitter user accounts nor were any user accounts compromised (except for a screenshot of one person’s account and we contacted that person and recommended changing their password). This was not a hack on the Twitter service, it was a personal attack followed by the theft of private company documents.”
Should I be concerned with the security of Google Docs?
“This attack had nothing to do with any vulnerability in Google Apps which we continue to use”
“This isn’t about any flaw in web apps, it speaks to the importance of following good personal security guidelines such as choosing strong passwords.”
Is Twitter worried about the stolen documents?
“Obviously, these docs are not polished or ready for prime time and they’re certainly not revealing some big, secret plan for taking over the world.”
“Nevertheless, as they were never meant for public communication, publishing these documents publicly could jeopardize relationships with Twitter’s ongoing and potential partners. We’re doing our best to reach out to these folks and talk over any questions and concerns. However, our goal remains focusing on the most important business at hand—creating value for users and building the best possible Twitter service.”
Does Twitter plan any legal action?
We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft means for Twitter, the hacker, and anyone who accepts and subsequently shares or publishes these stolen documents. We’re not sure yet exactly what the implications are for folks who choose to get involved at this point but when we learn more and are able to share more, we will.
So there you go, nothing that should have a lasting impact on Twitter’s growth… but, this is another blemish on the microblogging sites extremely sloppy growth.
Are you concerned with the safety of your Twitter account? Tell us.
