Anonymous' Twitter Account Hacked: Report

It seems like high-profile Twitter accounts have been under siege in recent days. The newest victim: 'hacktivist' group Anonymous.

Anonymous has made headlines over the past few years for a series of attacks on major businesses and government sites. The group -- which has no formal structure and is made up of individuals largely acting independently -- practices what's known as 'hacktivism,' or politically-charged hacking.

Although Anonymous doesn't have an official spokesman, members do issue public statements through a series of social media accounts, including @Anon_Central on Twitter.

Reports indicate that the security for that account was bypassed by hackers and that it was three hours before the account holder regained control. It appears the culprits work for the "Rustle League," a smaller and less established group of hacktivists that may have been trying to boost their online status. (Source: bbc.co.uk)

Anonymous Blamed For Burger King Attack

The hacking is ironic, given that Anonymous is suspected of hacking the Burger King Twitter account a few days ago. Somebody who seized control of the account changed its logo to that of McDonald's and sent out a string of bogus tweets claiming McDonald's had bought out Burger King.

While the Burger King account was hacked, one of the tweets specifically mentioned @YourAnonNews, another high-profile Twitter account said to represent Anonymous.

However, another Anonymous Twitter account said the group wasn't responsible. Such mixed messages aren't unusual given the loose nature of Anonymous.

Jeep Twitter Account Also Breached

Following the Burger King attack, Jeep's Twitter account was also violated and the account used to send tweets falsely claiming the company's Chrysler division had been sold to Cadillac. It's not known if this was done by the same hackers or copycats.

The incidents even sparked a publicity stunt where television networks MTV and BET pretended to hack each other's accounts, a move that was clearly a joke given that the two networks are owned by the same company.

Ironically, security analysts say the stunt could backfire as it could draw the attention of genuine hackers who will be upset at being mocked by the TV networks. (Source: csoonline.com)