Report: Twitter warns news outlets to be on guard against account takeover attempts

In the wake of a recent wave of high-profile account takeovers, Twitter is warning news organizations to better defend their accounts from hackers.

On Monday, Twitter emailed various news companies a list of security steps for securing their accounts. Buzzfeed published the email, in which Twitter contended that “news and media organizations will continue to be high value targets to hackers.” It recommended that account holders regularly change their passwords and use tools to detect phishing attacks.

Last Tuesday, the Twitter account of the Associated Press was hijacked when attackers posted messages that explosions at the White House had occurred and that President Obama was injured. Over the weekend, several Twitter accounts belonging to The Guardian, a major U.K.-based paper, also was compromised. A hacktivist group called the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for both incidents.