Cybersecurity agency issues notice to Twitter for details

NEW DELHI: India’s cybersecurity nodal agency CERT-In has issued a notice to Twitter asking the micro-blogging platform for full details of a recent global hacking incident targeting highprofile users, as it sought information on the number of Indians affected, and as impact on data, a source said.

The source privy to the development told PTI that Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has asked Twitter

for information on number of users from India who have visited the tweets and links, and whether the affected users have been informed by the platform about unauthorised access to their Twitter accounts. Twitter did not comment on an email query by PTI.

The government has demanded information on vulnerability exploited by attackers and modus operandi of the attack, and sought details of remedial measures by Twitter to mitigate the impact of the hacking incident. CERT-In has asked

Twitter to respond to multiple queries, including details about the incident, and number of Indian users affected along with the impact on data of those users, the source said. CERT-In swung into action after reports that hackers gained access to Twitter’s systems to hack accounts of many global corporate leaders, politicians, celebrities, and businesses. Questions were asked by CERT-In from Twitter under stipulated sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and CERT-In Rules 2003, the source pointed out.