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Twitter Resets Passwords After Stolen Data Appears on Dark Web

Twitter has locked all affected accounts; if yours is among them you should have already received an email.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Twitter on Friday announced it has reset an unspecified number of accounts after tens of millions of user credentials were discovered on the dark Web.

The microblogging service reiterated that the leak did not result from a hack of its servers. Instead, the hackers amassed the stolen credentials by combining information from other recent breaches and via password-stealing malware on victims' machines.

"Regardless of origin, we're acting swiftly to protect your Twitter account," Twitter Trust and Information Security Officer Michael Coates wrote in a blog post.

Twitter's security team cross-checked the information from this and other recent leaks with the company's records and identified "a number" of accounts with exposed passwords. Twitter has locked all affected accounts; if yours is among them you should have already received an email, and will need to need to reset your password.

The site also recommends that users enable login verification, its two-factor authentication tool. Coates called this "the single best action you can take to increase your account security."

Other actions you can take: set up a strong password, and don't reuse it on other websites and consider using a password manager such as 1Password or LastPass to ensure you're using strong passwords everywhere.

"The recent prevalence of data breaches from other websites is challenging for all websites — not just those breached," Coates wrote. "Attackers mine the exposed username, email and password data, leverage automation, and then attempt to automatically test this login data and passwords against all top websites. If a person used the same username and password on multiple sites then attackers could, in some situations, automatically take over their account."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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