Sony Music Entertainment’s Twitter account was hacked Monday. The intruders claimed via Sony Music Global that Britney Spears had died. The hackers also attacked Bob Dylan’s Twitter account posting that Britney died as well. Britney later posted a tweet with photos of herself, similar to a statement saying to the public she was alive.
The cyber attacks happened early Monday morning sending tweets that read: “RIP @britneyspears” with a frown-face emoji and the hashtag #RIPBritney 1981-2016. Other tweet produced by the hackers said that Britney Spears had died by accident and that Sony would report soon on the matter, using the frown-face emoji again.
As soon as the cyber attack was discovered, Sony deleted the fake tweets and wrote a post that signaled that the account had been hacked, making it clear that the claims on Britney Spears were false.
Sony Music wrote in a statement that their Twitter account was compromised. The company rectified the hackers posted the fake tweets and apologized to Britney and her fans for the confusion.
The news caused panic among fans and the music industry. Britney’s manager Adam Leber later told CNN that his client’s death was fake news, saying Britney Spears was definitely “fine and well.”
A representative for Bob Dylan confirmed to Billboard that Sony Music manages his account, which explains why the singer would have tweeted such news.
“I assume (Sony Music’s) account has been hacked. I haven’t spoken to anyone… as of yet but I am certain their account was hacked. Britney is fine and well. There have been a few Internet clowns over the years who have made similar claims about her death, but never from the official Sony Music Twitter account,” Leber told CNN.
‘Don’t underestimate the power of Charlie’s Angels’
After the false news of her death circulated the internet, Britney Spears posted Monday afternoon a series of selfies with the text: “Don’t underestimate the power of Charlie’s,” adding an angel emoji at the end instead of the word “Angels.”
The tweet was interpreted by fans as a statement to confirm Sony’s tweets were fake and that she is still alive.
https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/813495417090560000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The hacker group OurMine took responsibility for the attack, although it stated to CBS by email that they did not write the first tweet saying Britney had died.
OurMine describes itself as a neutral party that wants to highlight security holes in high-profile individuals and organizations accounts. The group says they do not have bad intentions. They even provide users and their victims with tools and tips to secure their accounts better.
Apart from Sony’s account, the hacker group has also infiltrated the Twitter accounts of NFL Network’s, Marvel, Netflix and the Rolling Stone’s Keith Richards. OurMine has even hacked Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Source: Billboard