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Twitter Admits Data Breach Compromised Anonymous Accounts

Twitter has released an official statement admitting that it was unable to confirm the number of profiles exposed, but expects the figure to top 5.4 million.

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twitter admits data breach compromised anonymous accounts

Twitter has released a statement acknowledging that in December 2020, a coding error resulted in a data breach of user information. A hacker exploited the flaw before it was discovered and subsequently patched in January 2022.

The vulnerability allowed malicious actors to submit an email address or phone number to verify if it was associated with an existing Twitter account. Hackers could then access the associated account ID, linking the information together.

A researcher uncovered the coding flaw through Twitter’s Bug Bounty program. The social media giant claimed that the vulnerability hadn’t been exploited before engineers were made aware of the issue. However, a hacker who contacted the website Bleeping Computer disputed the official narrative, claiming to have gained access to over 5.4 million user accounts via the flawed code and offering to sell the data for $30,000.

twitter data breach sample user profile information

After reviewing the compiled database, Twitter responded with an official statement:

“Because we can’t verify every account that may have been affected, we’re releasing this alert because we’re particularly concerned about people using pseudonymous accounts who may be targeted by the state or other actors. If you use a pseudonymous Twitter account, we realize the hazards that an occurrence like this might bring and we profoundly regret that this happened.”

Also Read: Report Highlights $7.45 Million In Damages From Data Breaches Across The Middle East

Owners of accounts that have been compromised due to the data breach will be notified by direct message from Twitter, with the company advising those who wish to remain anonymous online not to associate a publicly available email or phone number with their account.

Because two or more individuals have already purchased and gained access to the leaked data, users should be wary of targeted phishing scams trying to gain access to login credentials. Although no passwords were revealed during the initial breach, Twitter advises all users to adopt two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.

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Dubai Residents Will Soon Travel Door To Door By Flying Car

Aviation firm Aviterra has signed a deal with Dutch company PAL-V to purchase over 100 Liberty flying cars.

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dubai residents will soon travel door to door by flying car
PAL-V

A Dubai-headquartered aviation company has signed an agreement with Dutch firm PAL-V to bring their groundbreaking flying cars to the Middle East.

Aviterra, a manufacturer of aviation and aerospace components, will purchase over 100 Liberty flying cars and directly invest in the European aviation company, they revealed in a recent joint statement.

At $799,000, the two-seat Liberty is a costly vehicle predominantly aimed at high-end, corporate, and government clients and individuals with very deep pockets. Described by PAL-V as a “personal aircraft for daily medium and long-distance commutes,” the Liberty combines a gyroplane and three-wheeled car with collapsable propellers and tail fins stored on the roof.

In car mode, the vehicle can reach 100 kph in under nine seconds and has a top speed of 160 kph. Changing into aircraft modes takes around five minutes, with the helicopter-like blades rising from the roof and the tail fins extending up and out from the rear. Finally, the car’s rear jacks up, and two hatches open to deploy the rear-facing propeller.

pal-v liberty flying car

As an aircraft, the Liberty has a range of between 400 and 500 km and a maximum speed of 180 kph. It can reach an altitude of 11,000 feet and requires a runway (or straight road) of at least 200 meters for both takeoff and landing.

The current batch of Liberty flying cars run on regular gasoline but will eventually be configured as EVs “once batteries get lighter”, according to Robert Dingemanse, CEO and founder of PAL-V.

Also Read: Abu Dhabi To Develop $1 Billion eSports Island Facility

Meanwhile, as both Abu Dhabi and Dubai continue to make strong commitments to air mobility, other companies are also keen to deploy flying cars in the Middle East. Slovakian firm KleinVision, for example, is developing a flying vehicle called the Aircar, powered by a BMW engine.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority recently signed agreements to use air taxis in the city in the next two years, while Abu Dhabi’s Investment Office has announced plans to introduce an all-electric air taxi fleet by 2026.

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