Twitter has issued its first ever warning in regards to a potential hack by state-sponsored actors, as the social networking website steps up its examination of possible security violations.
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The alert highlights growing concern over hacking on action backed by foreign governments after a year in which high-profile cyber attacks breached 22 million employees profiles in the US Department of Homeland Security.
Other firms including Google and Facebook already have warning systems to alert users who might be targeted by state or other hackers.
Twitter sent a warning email to users who could have been involved, saying that the hackers may happen to be looking to capture phone numbers, email addresses, and IP addresses. Earlier this season, the social media business began gathering t’s subscribers' phone numbers – adding to the personal data stored, and potentially vulnerable to hackers.
State-sponsored hackers would be the most well-resourced hackers. Some so called ‘rogue states’ frequently use cyber attacks to run espionage or steal intellectual property.
Nevertheless most Twitter posts are public, suggesting the hackers might have been attempting to find a means to tweet through accounts that are hijacked, or getting private data such phone numbers.
Many responded on Twitter with surprise -- as well as a sense of humor according to the Financial Times.
"Remember the time when 'state-sponsored actors' meant the national performing arts company doing Shakespeare in the park?," wrote user Mark Wodrich, whose profile states he is a "software security geek".
Twitter said "a small number of accounts" was affected, including that the business was still investigating.
A Twitter poll found that 20 per cent of respondents had received the e-mail regarding the state-sponsored assault.
Twitter has alerted users about security infractions before, for example in 2013 when it emailed more than 200,000 users to alert them their Twitter passwords and email addresses may have been stolen.
Twitter affirmed that it had sent the email about state-sponsored hackers, declining to comment further.
The Syrian Electronic Army is one of several hacking groups who also have targeted important newspaper sites and Skype, and support the Syrian president.
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