Twitter is a national security flaw

Famed hacker blows whistle on Twitter, claims app is risk to national security

By 

Ariel Zilber

A well-known “ethical hacker” who was hired by Twitter to overhaul its cybersecurity alleged that the social media giant has become a security risk for the US after it reneged on a deal with the federal government to set up a system that adequately protects user data.

Peiter “Mudge” Zatko — a software engineer who became a star in the hacker community after leading a 1990s-era group called “Cult of the Dead Cow” — filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging widespread dysfunction at Twitter.

Zatko was named head of security by Twitter two years ago after the company was victimized by embarrassing glitches, including the commandeering by hackers of high-profile accounts belonging to the likes of Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Mike Bloomberg.But in a filing with the federal government that was first obtained by the Washington Post and CNN, Zatko alleges that Twitter has failed to adhere to a deal with the Federal Trade Commission to plug the cybersecurity holes that led to the hacks. 

Zatko accused Twitter of failing to upgrade its server infrastructure, most of which he says is out of date — thus leaving it vulnerable to severe breaches.