When Twitter Passwords Are Easy to Guess. What Should You do?

Do you think Password1 is a seriously stupid password? Or 1234? Donald Trump's Twitter account (now permanently suspended), had one of the most easily guessable passwords of all time: MAGA2020!

MAGA, which stands for "Make America Great Again", was Trump's campaign slogan during his 2016 presidential campaign. Police documents reveal that Victor Gevers accessed Trump's Twitter after correctly guessing his not-so-secure password.

Gevers proves how easy it is to guess pretty much anyone's Twitter login. And it doesn't matter if you're a plumber, a physical therapist, or the President of the United States. 

To protect your account click here to sign up for a free trial of TeamPassword.

What Happened?

In December 2020, Dutch prosecutors concluded that cyber-security researcher Gevers had successfully hacked into Trump's Twitter by guessing his password. (Gevers had the screenshots to prove it.) 

Gevers had been carrying out a "sweep" of U.S. politicians when he guessed Trump's credentials, which gave him access to the former President's private photos, messages, and block list. Gevers says he was "looking for vulnerabilities on the internet." 

At the time Gevers accessed the account, Trump had 89 million followers. 

Recommended reading: The Truth About Terrible Passwords

Password Vulnerabilities on Social Media

In July 2020, hackers infiltrated the accounts of 130 high-profile Twitter users (such as Elon Musk and Joe Biden) and data breaches affect businesses on social media platforms all the time — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, you name it. 

Businesses are susceptible to hackers because employees share social media passwords. Salespeople, marketing reps, and customer service agents often require access to the same account, and passwords can easily fall into the wrong hands. Other times, hackers guess passwords that are not secure enough. (Compromised passwords make up a massive 81 percent of all hacking-related incidents.)

What's the solution?

Recommended reading: Most Common Password Problems Faced by Small Organizations

The Benefits of a Password Manager

A password manager provides businesses like yours with an extra level of robust security. It stores social media passwords in a super-secure environment, keeping logins locked up safe. You can still access your Twitter or Facebook account whenever you like, but your passwords remain protected. 

There are other benefits:

• When you use a reliable password manager, you don't need to remember social media passwords. (Great if you don't have a good memory.) Your password manager recalls your password and automatically logs you into your account. There's no longer a need to scribble passwords on a scrap of paper or list them on an Excel spreadsheet. 
• A password manager generates an uber-strong password that prevents hackers from entering your social media accounts. This benefit reduces the risk of identity theft, fraud, and account takeover. 
• A password manager cranks up the security credentials in your organization, improving compliance with data protection legislation and frameworks.

Recommended Reading: Why Do I Need a Password Manager?

Have You Heard About Team Password?

Team Password benefits business teams like yours, letting you share logins and passwords so you can keep projects moving. You can store passwords in a safe environment and access them when you need them. 

All kinds of businesses use Team Password to protect their social media assets, such as

• Retailers
• Banks
• Tech startups
• Creative agencies
• Software design and development teams
• Marketing agencies

Recommended Reading: The Biggest Password Trends of 2020

Before You Go

How hackable is your password? If someone can access the then president's Twitter account, cybercriminals could hack into yours. Using a password manager such as Team Password improves security in your organization and lets you share and sync logins with the rest of your team. 

Are you looking for a secure social media password manager? Try the free 14-day trial here.