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ZZOMG, Twitter Porn Names is a phishing attack
What the hell is #twitterpornnames, you say?
It's a game that someone started on Twitter. You're supposed to announce your made-up name along with the hash tag and share in the LOL-fest. If you're paying attention, you'll notice just how stupid participating in the "game" could be.
See, the formula provided to create your name just happens to match some very common security questions to help people reset their passwords. Pet's name. First teacher. Street you grew up on. See the pattern?
It's bad enough that users have been taken in, but some have been so blind as to announce their exact formula along with their name. At least if they hadn't done that there would be a little guessing involved, but now it's been handed over on a silver platter.
Remember kids: don't take candy from strangers, and don't hand out your usernames and passwords - or the means to reset them - to the entire population of Twitter.
[via PCWorld]
Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsTaylor. Yes, Taylor.May 12th 2009 3:41PM
Haha, wow, this is brillant.
-Taylor
MandyMay 12th 2009 5:11PM
What? This has been around the internet for YEARS. Take your first pet + the street you grew up on and you have a funny "porn name." (Mine is Kitty Cat Loyola. ;) Someone on Twitter didn't come up with this any more than they came up with the internet itself. The teacher's last name came into play when someone thought they were being clever by changing the well-known, long-time rule of pet + street in an effort to make it more vague (and much less funny; a teacher's last name is, y'know, a real last name and misses the point of the 'game' entirely) for scammers.
WHO ON EARTH uses their first pet's name and street anywhere in conjunction with their password?! Seriously - I think all this becoming a trend on Twitter has done is expose how stupid people really are when it comes to the internet in two ways: they are apparently using pet names and street names in their passwords or password retrievals; and they think anything innocent and fun is an attack from so-called phishers and scam artists.
MarcMay 12th 2009 6:07PM
If you READ the article it does not say users passwords are in the form of pet names or first teacher names... it clearly states that those questions are the ones used on a twitter account to RESET a password. Having the power to reset a password enables hijacking the account.
AmandaMay 12th 2009 6:26PM
Marc, I don't want to be rude but you're the one that didn't read it correctly. He wrote, "...the formula provided to create your name just happens to match some very common security questions to help people reset their passwords." He never stated that it's what Twitter uses; and it's not.
Lee MathewsMay 12th 2009 6:27PM
But it is a system that is used all over the place. In general, keep this info to yourself. Don't make it easy for people. 'Nuf said.
MandyMay 12th 2009 6:35PM
Wow. Like I said: the only thing that posting this game on Twitter has does is reveal the ignorance of the common internet user. I mean--I have been using the internet for 15ish years, and I've never once used a pet's name, street name, mother's maiden name (not the REAL one; just one I've come up with to always use), or any other information that ANYONE other than close family & my boyfriend would ever know. So, I guess that this is good for you all--now you know not to do that. And of course, if you do, don't broadcast it. Hehe.
XhadowMay 13th 2009 4:30AM
Well I had noticed a worse trend on facebook, see this one is pretty low on the alert scale just due to it doesn't ask all of the questions that most sites use as password recovery.
However on Facebook I see time and time again these Questionarries asking people where did you grow up, what was your first car, what elementary school did you go to...
Most aren't as blunt as to ask you what your mothers maiden name is but honestly the way society is now some folks mothers madien name is their last name.