Twitter is warning some of its users that they may be under attack by "state-sponsored actors" trying to obtain email addresses, IP addresses, or their phone numbers, Tech Insider has learned.
A small number of users have received emails warning them of a threat possibly associated with a government that the service says it is investigating. The emails, which Twitter confirmed as legitimate, were vague on details but told users "we have no evidence they obtained your account information, but we're actively investigating [the] matter."
The emails also recommend tips for keeping safe online, with links to the Tor Browser and EFF's guide to protecting yourself on social networks. The email warnings are similar to notices sent in the past by other companies, such as Facebook and Google.
"You might ask how we know this activity is state-sponsored," Google's Eric Grosse wrote on its security blog in 2012. "We can’t go into the details without giving away information that would be helpful to these bad actors, but our detailed analysis—as well as victim reports—strongly suggest the involvement of states or groups that are state-sponsored."
Twitter did not elaborate on the attack when TI asked for more details.
Jacob Appelbaum, a computer security researcher and hacker, received a number of responses when he asked whether anyone else had received the message.
Here's the full email:
—coldhak (@coldhakca) December 11, 2015
