Twitter is grappling with the worst security breach in its 14-year history. Bloomberg
Twitter is grappling with the worst security breach in its 14-year history. Bloomberg
Twitter is grappling with the worst security breach in its 14-year history. Bloomberg
Twitter is grappling with the worst security breach in its 14-year history. Bloomberg

Cryptocurrency firm KuCoin ‘shocked’ by Twitter hacking


Arthur Scott-Geddes
  • English
  • Arabic

A leading cryptocurrency exchange has voiced its concerns after hackers took over its Twitter account along with more than 100 others belonging to some of the world’s most influential people and companies.

KuCoin, which since being founded in 2017 has grown to become one of the world’s most popular crypto exchange services with five million users, lost control of its official Twitter account during the cyberattack this week.

For a company that depends on providing high levels of security to its users, the breach at Twitter was of particular concern.

A spokesman for the company, Jing Cheung, told The National: "We are actually quite shocked at what's happening at Twitter."

“As a crypto exchange, security is our top priority,” he said.

“We have implemented plenty of security mechanisms to protect account security. That’s why it’s hard to imagine such a hack could happen to Twitter.”

The cyberattack is the biggest to have hit Twitter in its history.

Hackers are believed to have accessed Twitter’s internal systems to compromise the accounts of some of the platform's top voices, including US presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former US president Barack Obama and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, and use them to solicit digital currency.

The high-profile accounts that were hacked also included rapper Kanye West, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, investor Warren Buffett, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and the corporate accounts for Uber and Apple.

In its latest statement, Twitter said the hackers were able to gain control to a "small subset" of the targeted accounts and send tweets from them.

The FBI is leading an inquiry into the incident, with several US politicians also calling for an explanation of how it happened.

The investigative agency said that cyber attackers committed cryptocurrency fraud in the incident.

Freely available blockchain records show the apparent scammers received more than $100,000 (Dh367,000) worth of cryptocurrency.

KuCoin said it was working closely with Twitter to investigate the hacking which, it added, was handling the matter “carefully and transparently”.

The company said it was looking into using a new, decentralised social media channel using the same blockchain technology that protects cryptocurrency transactions to provide greater security.

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Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog:

From: Wimbledon, London, UK

Education: Medical doctor

Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures 

Favourite animals: All of them 

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
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Key facilities
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being

Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.

As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.

Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.

Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.

However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.

“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.

People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
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Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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