The Dangers of Tweeting: Check Point Software’s Top Tips to Keep Your Devices and Online Services Safe on Twitter

By Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point India and SAARC

Twitter disclosed a cyberattack that managed to steal and leak the data of 5.4 million users of the platform. Although no passwords were exposed, cybercriminals use stolen email addresses and phone numbers to launch further attacks.

According to Statistica, India had the third largest number of Twitter users numbering 23.6million in January 2022, behind Japan and the US. However, the social media giant has been facing a slew of issues here in India, with its most recent announcement of suing the Indian government over a recent order from the Indian government for the company to remove content and block dozens of accounts. After complying with the order, they have since sought judicial relief.

However, as the August 5th cyberattack has demonstrated, such attacks can continue to hurt ardent supporters of Twitter including here in India. To mitigate further damage, Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, is warning Twitter users of the dangers posed by this leak. Here are Check Point’s top tips to help keep users private information safe:

Beware of phishing: when a cyberattack of this type occurs, the leaked email addresses are often reused to send phishing campaigns with fraudulent links or malware-laden attachments. It is therefore essential to take extreme precautions with any email that contains links or attachments and to avoid clicking on any of them. Cybercriminals often impersonate known brands to gain the user's trust. If, for example, an email arrives from your bank, the correct thing to do is go to the bank's official page from your browser and access your account from there.

Use unique and secure passwords: it is essential to use different passwords for all the accounts, platforms and devices you use, otherwise, in the event that one was stolen, the cybercriminal would have access to all your other accounts, doing much more damage than expected. In addition to having a different password for each service, make sure they are all robust with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, including numbers and symbols. Change them periodically too, to keep attackers away from any unhacked service.

Enable two-factor authentication: This additional layer of security means that to access a service, in addition to entering the password, a security code or key must also be inputted to the user's personal device. This gives a much higher level of protection to any account.

Up-to-date software: to prevent any cyber threat from accessing systems, it is very important to have all applications and device tools up to date, since they are responsible for repairing any security breach. On the other hand, it’s crucial to have a robust cybersecurity solution in place to fight against any type of threat.

"Cyberattacks are becoming more and more common. In fact, our recent Mid-Year Security report revealed a 42% global increase in attacks. Cybercriminals are constantly inventing new ways of attacking in order to gain access to user credentials and accounts. This Twitter data leak is an important reminder that it is absolutely essential for all users to take precautions when it comes to the safety of their own information. Don’t rely solely on the service provider," explains Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC.