Variety has confirmed that its content management system (CMS) was hijacked over the weekend by the hacking collective OurMine.
Once in, the group was able to send subscribers to the online and print publisher multiple newsletters via email.
The subject line stated “Hacked By #OurMine”, while the body text read: “Hello Variety, it’s #OurMine, don’t worry we are just testing your security, please contact us on ourmine.org.”
While this breach clearly highlights vulnerabilities in Variety’s security, it is believed that no sensitive data was accessed.
“In contrast to many other hackers, OurMine doesn’t typically attempt to shut down websites or abscond with data,” Variety reported.
“The anonymous group positions itself as cybersecurity outfit that raises awareness for its services by hacking into prominent people and brands.”
In June, for example, the hacking collective OurMine accessed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter account.
In doing so it revealed that the social media pioneer did not have a secure password in place.
Zuckerberg’s password for Twitter, which was found as a result of the 2012 LinkedIn data breach, was said to be “dadada”.
Variety is looking into the possibility that the incident involving its CMS hijack may have something to do with one of its employee’s having their password compromised.
Incidents like this help to highlight the importance of social media security, which is even more essential in an age defined by online activity.
