In an apparent hacking of the Microsoft News Twitter account, a tweet emerges saying the company sells customer data to the government. The Syrian Electronic Army claims responsibility. January 11, 2014 12:06 PM PST Doesn't seem quite right, does it? (Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) Sometimes, irony adorns Twitter like the sugar on a doughnut. On Saturday morning, however, the Microsoft News Twitter account offered a curious instruction. It read: "Don't use Microsoft emails(hotmail,outlook),They are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to the governments. #SEA @Official_SEA16." The accusation might be referred to as a Reverse Scroogling. Or, perhaps, a Microsofting. As to the perpetrators, the "SEA" hashtag points to the Syrian Electronic Army, a hacking group sympathetic to President Bashar Assad. The SEA has operated for some time now, hacking its way into places such as a BBC Twitter account. A follow-up tweet issued through the Microsoft News Twitter account showed an image of the Syrian flag with the message: "Syrian Electronic Army Was Here via @Official_SEA16 #SEA." I have contacted Microsoft to wonder what might have happened here and will update, should I hear back. Oh. (Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
In an apparent hacking of the Microsoft News Twitter account, a tweet emerges saying the company sells customer data to the government. The Syrian Electronic Army claims responsibility.
Doesn't seem quite right, does it?
(Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
Sometimes, irony adorns Twitter like the sugar on a doughnut.
On Saturday morning, however, the Microsoft News Twitter account offered a curious instruction. It read: "Don't use Microsoft emails(hotmail,outlook),They are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to the governments. #SEA @Official_SEA16."
The accusation might be referred to as a Reverse Scroogling. Or, perhaps, a Microsofting.
As to the perpetrators, the "SEA" hashtag points to the Syrian Electronic Army, a hacking group sympathetic to President Bashar Assad.
The SEA has operated for some time now, hacking its way into places such as a BBC Twitter account.
A follow-up tweet issued through the Microsoft News Twitter account showed an image of the Syrian flag with the message: "Syrian Electronic Army Was Here via @Official_SEA16 #SEA."
I have contacted Microsoft to wonder what might have happened here and will update, should I hear back.
Oh.
(Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
