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🇦🇺 Australia /Technology

X account hack spreads threats through trusted contacts

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • An ABC journalist's X account was hacked, spreading cybersecurity threats through direct messages.
  • The hack originated from a trusted contact in the US and spread through a web of connections, affecting potentially thousands of Australians.
  • The journalist and another affected contact, Sean Callow, described the sophisticated nature of the hack, which bypassed typical security awareness.

A sophisticated hack targeting an ABC journalist's X account has spread cybersecurity threats through direct messages, potentially reaching thousands of Australians. The incident highlights the evolving tactics of cybercriminals, who are exploiting trusted networks to distribute malicious content.

This episode has been a wakeup call for me in how sophisticated hackers have become.

— Sean CallowCallow reflects on the advanced nature of the hack.

The hack began when a long-term contact, Sean Callow, sent a direct message that appeared to be a request to vote for him to host a podcast. Although the journalist found the request slightly unusual, it seemed plausible given Callow's role as a currency strategist. After clicking through several links that required excessive authentication, the journalist eventually bailed out, only to discover later that their account had been compromised.

This was not an email with spelling mistakes or a 'too good to be true' financial offer.

— Sean CallowCallow distinguishes the hack from typical phishing attempts.

Callow, who was also a victim of the hack, described the experience as a "wake-up call." He noted that this was not a typical phishing attempt with obvious errors but a highly plausible scenario presented as a favor to a friend. The distinctive aspect of this hack was its infiltration of X direct messages, a platform where guards are often lowered, especially when messages require a PIN for access.

It was presented as a favour to a friend of mine in the US who would very plausibly be preparing for a podcast.

— Sean CallowCallow explains the seemingly legitimate context of the malicious message.

The attack appears to have originated from a trusted contact in the US, spreading to Callow, then to the ABC journalist, property investment adviser Pete Wargent, and subsequently to the X account of Peter Tulip, chief economist at the Centre for Independent Studies. This chain reaction demonstrates how cyber threats can propagate rapidly through interconnected networks, catching even those considered digitally savvy off guard.

My guard was also lowered by the message arriving in my X direct messages, which require a PIN for me just to read them.

— Sean CallowCallow discusses how the platform's security features paradoxically lowered his guard.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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