Facebook accounts owned by CNN get hacked

Numerous social media accounts and blogs owned by CNN were compromised on Thursday, 26 January. The accounts, as reported by CNN, were hacked by a well-known group called OurMine.

The hacked accounts include CNN’s main Facebook account, CNN Politics’ Facebook accounts and the Twitter pages for CNN and CNN’s Security Clearance along with blogs for Political Ticker, The Lead, The Situation Room and Crossfire pages.

In each case, the group OurMine left its logo along with the message, “Hey, it’s OurMine we are just testing your security, please contact us for more information” along with a contact email address and a link to the group’s website.

The same CNN report claims that the Syrian Electronic Army were responsible for the hack. Roughly 30 minutes after CNN’s accounts were taken over by OurMine, Facebook apparently restored the control of the accounts to the CNN staff, removing the previous messages posted by the group.

The group also apparently hacked other major American and British news organisations including Columbia University and rights group Human Rights Watch.