by Frank James
As one of those who felt badly for President-elect Barack Obama that he was going to be made to give up his Blackberry, I have to say yesterday's report that his Twitter account was compromised seemed to prove the point made by those who worry that his use of the latest communications technology could be problematic for security and legal reasons.
As was reported on Twitter's blog Monday morning:
This morning we discovered 33 Twitter accounts had been "hacked" including prominent Twitter-ers like Rick Sanchez and Barack Obama (who has not been Twittering since becoming the president elect due to transition issues). We immediately locked down the accounts and investigated the issue. Rick, Barack, and others are now back in control of their accounts.
I assume the Sanchez mentioned is CNN's on-air personality. It's a little odd that the posting's author mentioned Sanchez before, say, the next president of the U.S. But set that aside.
Obama is at least the second high-profile politician to have an e-mail or social networking account hacked in recent memory. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's Yahoo email account was hacked last year allegedly by a University of Tennessee student who also happened to be the son of a Democratic lawmaker.
Now we have the hacking of Obama's Twitter account. The security vulnerabilities in these Internet-based communications technologies are obviously fairly significant. And it appears there's no simple way to close them.
In the posting on its site, Twitter says they restored control of the accounts but it clearly sounds like the possibility remains that Obama's Twitter account could be hacked again.
Looks like the message to high-profile figures, especially nationally politicians, is Twitterer beware.
Comments
Well the problem is that people are fooled into entering their passwords into very accurate-looking login screens.
Posted by: Frankles | January 6, 2009 9:59 AM
I bet the Obama team is relieved that this is happening. It gives them a valid excuse for ceasing all the new media tactics they relied on to show how future-ready Obama was. But they all know how impossible it would be to sustain having the President of the United States Twitter from the White House and were probably stressing about how to justify cutting the Web 2.0 crowd off. Now they have a good excuse to stop.
Posted by: James McQ | January 6, 2009 10:11 AM
Who really cares?
Posted by: valjean | January 6, 2009 10:32 AM
Wow, you just now figued out that the reason for taking away Obama's Blackberry was for security reasons?? Why did you think it was brought up in the first palce, just to be mean to saint barack? Sure doesn't lend much credibility to your opinions or this forum that you are so unaware of the world around you.
Posted by: wake up | January 6, 2009 10:47 AM
Will the offender be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, like the Tennessee kid who hacked Palin's Yahoo e-mail account?
Posted by: Dave | January 6, 2009 10:54 AM
Disgusting, these hackers...sure hope they didn't get archives of his account...MSM demand "complete and in depth" investigation and prosecution...hacking liberals is a "mortal sin"...end of story...come on Frank...we want the Panetta scoop.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | January 6, 2009 10:58 AM
Never mind the hacking. This is horrible writing. Some Swampers need a refresher course very badly.
Posted by: wow | January 6, 2009 11:45 AM
As previously posted above, this will end the Obama campaign's intentions to govern via the www.
In order to continue raising money from the masses, they have to be able to give them something in return, like say a feeling that they are involved through constant contact with the great one.
It's one thing to have a MILLION freinds at your fingertips during a campaign to beg for money and make superficial promises in return but now he's the President and that's a big NO-NO!
Access Denied! but you can still send your contributions and ideas to:
Posted by: Springfield | January 6, 2009 11:50 AM
So James McQ justifies hacking as long as it is against someone he dislikes. Wingnut!
Posted by: Disgusted | January 6, 2009 12:26 PM
John Q: Are you insane? Did you really think that the country would be getting updates from a program that only allows some 160 letters to type something out at a time?
The communication will still be there-- just not on some blurb gimmick web fad.
Posted by: Fallacy | January 6, 2009 1:04 PM
Just because you can use those fancy online serivices such as twitter, facebook, mint etc. doesn't mean you're more computer-literate!
Posted by: Steve | January 6, 2009 1:07 PM
This is exactly one of the main reasons why George Bush chose to cease use of e-mail once in the White House. It's evident that internet security systems are anything but robust and invulnerable. The bottom line is that we are all in danger of being hacked as well. For most, anonymity is the best protection, i.e., someone who isn't a celebrity or otherwise newsworthy has at least much less chance of drawing the type of unwanted scrutiny that drew attention to Sanchez, Obama, etc. Not much comfort, but that's the real world.
Posted by: Jeremiah | January 6, 2009 2:04 PM
I think he feels the walls closing in and doesn't want to be cut off from the free flow of information.
Oddly, Nixon had similar instincts occasionally--like his late night visits to talk to some of the participants in the March on Washington, if you can recall that.
Not that he can be compared with Nixon in any oher way.
Posted by: ornery | January 6, 2009 2:15 PM
John Q: Are you insane? Did you really think that the country would be getting updates from a program that only allows some 160 letters to type something out at a time?
The communication will still be there-- just not on some blurb gimmick web fad.
Posted by: Fallacy | January 6, 2009 2:53 PM
I think all those Obama "webbies" just got "bused"....the list of victims grows.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | January 6, 2009 2:58 PM
It just proves you are "thumb-oriented" and less likely to actually complete a sentence.
Do U get wht I mn?
Posted by: Jack | January 6, 2009 4:47 PM