Post by Morreion on Sept 5, 2012 13:35:44 GMT -5
Hackers Wreak Havoc On 'Wired' Writer's Digital Life (NPR)
Within one hour, Wired.com senior writer Mat Honan's entire digital life was destroyed. Hackers got access to his Google account and chaos followed. Eight years of Gmail were deleted. His iPhone was wiped clean — as was his iPad and MacBook. Honan talks to Renee Montagne about how hackers were able to gain access to his accounts.
How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking (Wired)
In the space of one hour, my entire digital life was destroyed. First my Google account was taken over, then deleted. Next my Twitter account was compromised, and used as a platform to broadcast racist and homophobic messages. And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.
In many ways, this was all my fault. My accounts were daisy-chained together. Getting into Amazon let my hackers get into my Apple ID account, which helped them get into Gmail, which gave them access to Twitter. Had I used two-factor authentication for my Google account, it’s possible that none of this would have happened, because their ultimate goal was always to take over my Twitter account and wreak havoc. Lulz.
Had I been regularly backing up the data on my MacBook, I wouldn’t have had to worry about losing more than a year’s worth of photos, covering the entire lifespan of my daughter, or documents and e-mails that I had stored in no other location.
Those security lapses are my fault, and I deeply, deeply regret them.
Within one hour, Wired.com senior writer Mat Honan's entire digital life was destroyed. Hackers got access to his Google account and chaos followed. Eight years of Gmail were deleted. His iPhone was wiped clean — as was his iPad and MacBook. Honan talks to Renee Montagne about how hackers were able to gain access to his accounts.
How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking (Wired)
In the space of one hour, my entire digital life was destroyed. First my Google account was taken over, then deleted. Next my Twitter account was compromised, and used as a platform to broadcast racist and homophobic messages. And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.
In many ways, this was all my fault. My accounts were daisy-chained together. Getting into Amazon let my hackers get into my Apple ID account, which helped them get into Gmail, which gave them access to Twitter. Had I used two-factor authentication for my Google account, it’s possible that none of this would have happened, because their ultimate goal was always to take over my Twitter account and wreak havoc. Lulz.
Had I been regularly backing up the data on my MacBook, I wouldn’t have had to worry about losing more than a year’s worth of photos, covering the entire lifespan of my daughter, or documents and e-mails that I had stored in no other location.
Those security lapses are my fault, and I deeply, deeply regret them.
