Hackers broke into journalist's Twitter account, posted fake news

Caracas (Venezuela): Hackers broke into Twitter accounts of a local journalist and a Member of Parliament in Venezuela and used these accounts to spread fake news on the platform, a media report said on Saturday.

The spread of fake news via social media platforms has been particularly problematic in Venezuela because of the political unrest, including a government crackdown that involves surveillance and censorship.

The journalist and the politician, who is also a human rights activist, later got in touch with a digital help-line that Access Now operates in a several countries and asked for help.

According to Access Now, the victims worked with Twitter to regain access to their accounts.

• The accounts were hacked using a procedure called "the Double Switch".
• The Double Switch begins when a hacker gets access to the login credentials for an account.
• The hacker then resets the login name and password, as well as the recovery email so that the original user can't get access. Then the double switch' begins.

IANS