This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
The Twitter hacking scheme that shook the world in July 2020 began with a simple message between two hackers on the online messaging platform Discord.
According to a screenshot of the conversation shared with The New York Times, a user named 'Kirk' wrote, 'yoo bro, i work at twitter / don't show this to anyone / seriously.'
He then demonstrated his ability to take control of valuable Twitter addresses, which would require insider access to the company's computer network.
However, the hacker who received the message, 'lol,' decided that Kirk did not actually work for Twitter because he was too willing to damage the company.
Despite this, Kirk had access to Twitter's most sensitive tools, which allowed him to take control of almost any Twitter address, including those of high-profile individuals.
Four people who participated in the scheme spoke with The Times and shared logs and screenshots of their conversations, demonstrating their involvement in the hack.
The investigation into the attack is still in its early stages, but officials have learned that the attack was not the work of a single country or a sophisticated group of hackers.
Instead, it was carried out by a group of young people who were motivated by a desire to own unique Twitter handles.
The group, which included 'lol' and 'ever so anxious,' used their access to Twitter's systems to take control of valuable accounts and sell them to customers in the online underworld.
One of their customers was a well-known figure among hackers dealing in user names, a young man known as 'PlugWalkJoe.'
However, it appears that PlugWalkJoe was not directly involved in the conversation and was not aware of the hack until it was reported in the media.
