Whistleblower claims Twitter has severe security shortcomings

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Whistleblower claims Twitter has severe security shortcomings

A whistleblower complaint from Twitter Inc.’s former head of security, claiming severe shortcomings in the social media company’s handling of users’ personal data, will have wide ramifications for the business.

US lawmakers vowed to investigate, and the legal team for Elon Musk, who is seeking to abandon his agreement to acquire Twitter, was emboldened by the claims. Twitter shares fell as much as 5% on Tuesday, the biggest intraday drop in more than a month.

[Bloomberg]

 

[r00igev@@r]

But twitter has firewalls and firewalls protect against all security problems? At least that is what Fortinet keeps on spamming me about!

 

[RonSwanson]

Right on cue:

The complaint — filed last month with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, as well as the FTC — says thousands of employees still had wide-ranging and poorly tracked internal access to core company software, a situation that for years had led to embarrassing hacks, including the commandeering of accounts held by such high-profile users as Elon Musk and former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

In addition, the whistleblower document alleges the company prioritized user growth over reducing spam, though unwanted content made the user experience worse. Executives stood to win individual bonuses of as much as $10 million tied to increases in daily users, the complaint asserts, and nothing explicitly for cutting spam.

Chief executive Parag Agrawal was “lying” when he tweeted in May that the company was “strongly incentivized to detect and remove as much spam as we possibly can,” the complaint alleges.

In an interview with The Post, Zatko described his decision to go public as an extension of his previous work exposing flaws in specific pieces of software and broader systemic failings in cybersecurity. He was hired at Twitter by former CEO Jack Dorsey in late 2020 after a major hack of the company’s systems.

Three bags full

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/twitter-whistleblower-sec-spam/?mc_cid=14c363a51a&mc_eid=48b76f1cf9

 

[RonSwanson]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1562444606163517448

 

[RonSwanson]

 

[RonSwanson]

But twitter has firewalls and firewalls protect against all security problems? At least that is what Fortinet keeps on spamming me about!

Don't forget the antivirus, and all those expensive SOC-2 type II audits

 

[r00igev@@r]

Don't forget the antivirus, and all those expensive SOC-2 type II audits

Antivirus is the biggest waste of CPU time on planet Earth. Detects squat.

 

[gregmcc]

Don't forget the antivirus, and all those expensive SOC-2 type II audits

Don't get me started on all those audits. What complete BS It's just a tick in the box to keep the bean counters happy.

 

[Hamster]

Antivirus is the biggest waste of CPU time on planet Earth. Detects squat.

Nope, wrong. If the anti virus software uses all the CPU then viruses cannot execute.

 

[r00igev@@r]

Nope, wrong. If the anti virus software uses all the CPU then viruses cannot execute.

I concede. True.

I can also then take my shoes off and warm my feet on the keyboard.

 

[r00igev@@r]

Don't get me started on all those audits. What complete BS It's just a tick in the box to keep the bean counters happy.

They happy when they charge moola for a cut and paste job.

 

[ubercal]

But twitter has firewalls and firewalls protect against all security problems? At least that is what Fortinet keeps on spamming me about!

you need the fortigate firewall + forti edr solution

 

[r00igev@@r]

you need the fortigate firewall + forti edr solution

Haaibo Sies

 

[RonSwanson]

And... <taradish>

Mudge has been subpoenaed. Both by Musk on Saturday:

MSN

www.msn.com

and by Twitter:

Twitter Subpoenas Whistleblower & Former Security Chief Peiter Zatko

Twitter subpoenaed whistleblower Peiter Zatko today, asking for a raft of documents including any related to his “separation” from the company and his buying or selling of Twitter stock. Allegations by Zatko, Twitter’s former security chief, that the company is negligent in handling...

www.yahoo.com

Lawyers are working overtime