Hacked NBC Twitter Account Announces Ground Zero Attack

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Twitter hacking continues. This time, NBC is the victim, and the tweets are cruel. The Script Kiddies hacked Fox News in July, claiming that President Obama had been assassinated. Apparently, NBC's social media director clicked on an email attachment that allowed access to the culprit:

"'Ryan, You need to get off TWITTER immediately and protect your family from the hurricane. That is an order.' Osborn wrote back 'I'm sorry. Who is this?' The sender then replied, 'I'm the girl next door' with an attachment. Osborn said he mistakenly clicked on the attachment and it contained a Christmas tree."

NBC Twitter Discussion Starters:

  • What is your reaction to the series of hacking? Are these harmless pranks or potentially dangerous?
  • What, if any, are the ethical implications of Twitter hacking?
  • How do you assess NBC's statement: "The NBC News Twitter account was hacked late this afternoon and as a result, false reports of a plane attack on ground zero were sent to @NBCNews followers. We are working with Twitter to correct the situation and…sincerely apologize for the scare that could have been caused by such a reckless and irresponsible act"? Is this an appropriate response, or do you believe that more should be included in the network's statement?