Statistics Ministry’s Twitter account hacked; name changed to Elon Musk briefly

Hackers also replied to tweets from the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s Twitter account to other Twitter users on the microblogging platform.

New Delhi: In yet another hacking case, the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s Twitter account was compromised for a while on Thursday, March 17, 2022. The Twitter handle’s name was changed to Elon Musk by the hackers. The official photo of the account was also removed and a display picture featuring the entrepreneur was put on to confuse the followers. 

During the brief time when the account was account was hacked, the hacker posted a single tweet with a link, probably a malicious one. The tweet said that it’s a “unique opportunity to become a millionaire…Over $7,200,000 are left in the mystery box to be won."

According to a report by Mint, hackers had also replied to tweets posted by other Twitter users on the microblogging platform. The Ministry has reportedly changed the password of the account. The incident was also reported to the cybercrime team of the Delhi Police.  

The account was restored soon. As of now, Twitter hasn’t officially explained what led to the hack. However, according to experts, there could be numerous reasons behind the attack. 

Cyberlaw expert Pavan Duggal told Mint that India’s stance in the UN on the Russia and Ukraine conflict has off late made the country a target for the hackers. He added that such activities could rise.

Duggal, who is an advocate at the Supreme Court, reportedly said that India has not done much on the cyber security front, adding that India does not have a dedicated law on cyber security, which makes the country an easy target.

In the recent past, the number of hacking cases related to Twitter has been on the rise. For instance, in December 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal Twitter account was "very briefly compromised." Also Read: Retail inflation for farm, rural workers rises to 5.59%, 5.94% in February

In a similar incident in September 2020, Modi's personal website's Twitter handle, @narendramodi in, was also comprised. At that time, hackers had posted a series of tweets requesting followers to give to a relief fund using bitcoin. Also Read: Moody's cuts 2022 India growth estimate to 9.1% on lower capex