Yesterday, Neowin reported on a press release from Sophos security that shows a significant rise in network attacks on Facebook and Twitter. This press release suggested that developers of social networks must take initiative to ensure the safety of their users. One day after this report was released, PC World reports that Twitter reset a number of user passwords after being exposed to a phishing attack.
Twitter said in a prepared statement, "As part of Twitter"s ongoing security efforts, we reset passwords for a small number of accounts that we believe may have been compromised offsite. While we"re still investigating and ensuring that the appropriate parties are notified, we do believe that the steps we"ve taken should ensure user safety."
Twitter said it took the security action citing a "combination of multiple bad acts." They believe that users were being compromised after being duped by an email scam from a third-party site which claimed to allow users to "get followers fast". They also suspect this third-party site could have allowed hackers to gain access to email addresses and passwords.
This is an important step that Twitter has taken, and it reflects what was reported yesterday. Additionally, Facebook did something similar a few weeks ago making a deal with McAfee, even though it was not heavily publicized. Users need to keep in mind that privacy starts with the website and ends with the user. Users should know the neccessary precautions when they browse the Internet and take the necessary steps to protect themselves.