theverge--2020-07-16--Russian hackers are targeting vaccine development, officials say

Hackers from Russian intelligence services are targeting organizations that are involved in COVID-19 vaccine development , according to US , UK , and Canadian authorities .
The UK ’ s National Cyber Security Centre ( NCSC ) denounced the attacks in an advisory issued Thursday .
The NCSC believes the culprits to be APT29 , also known as “ the Dukes ” and “ Cozy Bear , ” an espionage organization it says is likely associated with Russian intelligence services .
A number of partner agencies support that assessment , the advisory says , including the Canadian Communications Security Establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) , and the National Security Agency .
The NCSC believes the hackers are collecting COVID-19 research , including vaccine development information .
“ We condemn these despicable attacks against those doing vital work to combat the coronavirus pandemic , ” said NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester in a statement .
Dominic Raab , the UK ’ s foreign secretary , also spoke out against the group ’ s actions .
“ It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” reads Raab ’ s statement .
“ While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior , the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.
” “ The UK will continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks , and work with our allies to hold perpetrators to account , ” Raab said .
“ We have always supported the academia and pharma industry , both public and private sector organisations , and we have been clear that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” an NCSC spokesperson said in an email to The Verge .
According to an NCSC report , APT29 uses “ a variety of tools and techniques ” in its hacking operation .
“ The group frequently uses publicly available exploits to conduct widespread scanning and exploitation against vulnerable systems , likely in an effort to obtain authentication credentials to allow further access , ” the advisory reads .
The hackers are thought to keep a large store of login information .
Once APT29 has breached its target organizations , the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further operations in the victim ’ s system.
” As COVID-19 cases grow around the world , multiple countries have warned of international cyberattacks directed at medical research .
In May , the FBI and CISA formally accused China of funding and operating hacking efforts to steal novel coronavirus vaccine information from the US and its allies , stating that “ the potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure , effective , and efficient treatment options.
” Earlier this year , the US and UK issued a warning about “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like China , Iran , North Korea , and Russia targeting health-care organizations , pharmaceutical companies , academia , medical research groups , and local governments .

Hackers from Russian intelligence services are targeting organizations that are involved in COVID-19 vaccine development, according to US, UK, and Canadian authorities.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) denounced the attacks in an advisory issued Thursday. The NCSC believes the culprits to be APT29, also known as “the Dukes” and “Cozy Bear,” an espionage organization it says is likely associated with Russian intelligence services. A number of partner agencies support that assessment, the advisory says, including the Canadian Communications Security Establishment, the US Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the National Security Agency.
The NCSC believes the hackers are collecting COVID-19 research, including vaccine development information.
“We condemn these despicable attacks against those doing vital work to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” said NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester in a statement.
“We condemn these despicable attacks”
Dominic Raab, the UK’s foreign secretary, also spoke out against the group’s actions. “It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” reads Raab’s statement. “While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behavior, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health.”
“The UK will continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks, and work with our allies to hold perpetrators to account,” Raab said.
“We have always supported the academia and pharma industry, both public and private sector organisations, and we have been clear that this work is our top priority at present,” an NCSC spokesperson said in an email to The Verge.
According to an NCSC report, APT29 uses “a variety of tools and techniques” in its hacking operation.
“The group frequently uses publicly available exploits to conduct widespread scanning and exploitation against vulnerable systems, likely in an effort to obtain authentication credentials to allow further access,” the advisory reads. The hackers are thought to keep a large store of login information.
Once APT29 has breached its target organizations, the group “deploys custom malware ... to conduct further operations in the victim’s system.”


theverge--2020-07-16--Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition ahead of Series X launch

Microsoft is officially halting production of its Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition consoles .
“ As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X , we ’ re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition , ” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge .
“ Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally.
” Reports of Xbox One X and Xbox One S shortages have surfaced in recent weeks , and there has been an increased demand in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
While production is ending on the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S digital edition , it ’ s likely that stock for some retailers will still be available in the coming months .
“ Gamers can check with their local retailers for more details on Xbox One hardware availability , ” says a Microsoft spokesperson .
Microsoft first introduced the Xbox One X back in November 2017 .
Designed as “ the world ’ s most powerful console ” at the time , Microsoft focused on power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One X .
The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was only launched in April last year , as a disc-less version of the Xbox One S. Reports have suggested sales were strong for this particular console , and Microsoft even bundled it as part of the $ 19.99 monthly Xbox All Access subscription that includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate access .
Microsoft is planning to continue its Xbox All Access subscriptions for the Xbox Series X launch later this year , offering subscribers an opportunity to upgrade to the new console .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cheaper , less powerful next-gen Xbox .
Codenamed “ Lockhart , ” this second Xbox is likely to form a big part of Microsoft ’ s pricing approach for its next-gen Xbox plans .
Microsoft is rumored to be preparing to unveil this second Xbox next month , after reports suggested the company originally planned to reveal its existence in June .
This second console may also be called Xbox Series S and is expected to target 1080p / 1440p gaming .

Microsoft is officially halting production of its Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition consoles. “As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally.”
Reports of Xbox One X and Xbox One S shortages have surfaced in recent weeks, and there has been an increased demand in Microsoft and Sony’s current-gen consoles during the pandemic. While production is ending on the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S digital edition, it’s likely that stock for some retailers will still be available in the coming months. “Gamers can check with their local retailers for more details on Xbox One hardware availability,” says a Microsoft spokesperson.
The Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured. Photo by Tyler Pina / The Verge
Microsoft first introduced the Xbox One X back in November 2017. Designed as “the world’s most powerful console” at the time, Microsoft focused on power and hardware for its 6 teraflop Xbox One X.
The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was only launched in April last year, as a disc-less version of the Xbox One S. Reports have suggested sales were strong for this particular console, and Microsoft even bundled it as part of the $19.99 monthly Xbox All Access subscription that includes Xbox Game Pass Ultimate access.
Microsoft is planning to continue its Xbox All Access subscriptions for the Xbox Series X launch later this year, offering subscribers an opportunity to upgrade to the new console. The software maker is also expected to launch a cheaper, less powerful next-gen Xbox. Codenamed “Lockhart,” this second Xbox is likely to form a big part of Microsoft’s pricing approach for its next-gen Xbox plans.


theverge--2020-07-16--The iOS keyboard now suggests the Black fist emoji if you type ‘Black Lives Matter’ or ‘BLM’

The iOS keyboard will autosuggest all three Black fist emoji when you type the phrase “ Black Lives Matter ” or the acronym “ BLM ” if you ’ re on Apple ’ s newly released iOS 13.6 software update or the latest iOS 14 beta .
The feature was spotted last week in a beta of iOS 13.6 by a user on Reddit .
The emoji , technically known as the “ Raised Fist ” emoji , has increasingly become a symbol of solidarity with people protesting against racial inequality and police brutality since the death of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medium-dark and dark skin Raised Fist emoji went up dramatically on Twitter in late May and June , according to an Emojipedia analysis .
And Raised Fist and all six of its available skin color choices were the most-used emoji by a wide margin in a study of 278,244 tweets sent on June 4th and 5th that included “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ BLM ” as hashtags or as text , Emojipedia reported .
It ’ s likely Apple observed the increased usage as well .
By automatically recommending Raised Fist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily include the emoji in texts and social media posts about the Black Lives Matter movement without having to separately navigate to the emoji keyboard and search for it .
Apple has also made moves outside of software to promote racial equality , including announcing a $ 100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative on June 11th .
And on Thursday , Apple announced it has expanded its partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to bring coding education opportunities to the schools ’ nearby communities .

The iOS keyboard will autosuggest all three Black fist emoji when you type the phrase “Black Lives Matter” or the acronym “BLM” if you’re on Apple’s newly released iOS 13.6 software update or the latest iOS 14 beta. The feature was spotted last week in a beta of iOS 13.6 by a user on Reddit.
The emoji, technically known as the “Raised Fist” emoji, has increasingly become a symbol of solidarity with people protesting against racial inequality and police brutality since the death of George Floyd. For example, usage of the medium-dark and dark skin Raised Fist emoji went up dramatically on Twitter in late May and June, according to an Emojipedia analysis. And Raised Fist and all six of its available skin color choices were the most-used emoji by a wide margin in a study of 278,244 tweets sent on June 4th and 5th that included “Black Lives Matter” and “BLM” as hashtags or as text, Emojipedia reported.
It’s likely Apple observed the increased usage as well. By automatically recommending Raised Fist, people will be able to more easily include the emoji in texts and social media posts about the Black Lives Matter movement without having to separately navigate to the emoji keyboard and search for it.


theverge--2020-07-16--T-Mobile declares war on robocalls in latest ‘Uncarrier’ move

T-Mobile said Thursday it is once again moving to tackle robocalls by scammers , repackaging several features it ’ s had in place for a while as a program it ’ s calling Scam Shield .
It includes free caller ID and call blocking , free enhanced caller ID to let people know when a number calling is verified , and a free second “ proxy ” number to filter out scam calls from coming to personal phone lines .
The proxy number can be shared among members on a family plan .
Customers can also change their phone numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inundated with spam calls .
Scam Shield will be available to all T-Mobile , Metro , and Sprint customers .
The new protections can be activated via a free Scam Shield app which will be available July 24th .
Former Sprint customers and existing T-Mobile customers who have been paying a monthly fee for caller ID will now get it for free .
The caller ID displays a “ scam likely ” warning when a suspected scam call is incoming .
T-Mobile claims it ’ s been a leader in rolling out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incoming calls are from actual people instead of robots .
But the company ’ s CEO Mike Sievert said that customers will have to put in a bit of effort with the Scam Shield app if they want to get the most protection from the relentless barrage of spam calls we all continue to get .
Sievert said on a webcast announcing the program that fighting scam calls is “ an all out arms race .
As long as there ’ s money to be had , scammers will keep inventing new ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invent new ways to stop them.
” He added that the program , which includes features the company has had in place for a while , is a “ throwdown ” to T-Mobile ’ s competitors , with a goal of putting STIR/SHAKEN in the limelight so the industry takes it more seriously .
According to T-Mobile , scams and unwanted robocalls are the top complaint to the Federal Communications Commission costing Americans more than $ 1 billion a year .
And if people aren ’ t able to screen their calls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are helping with efforts to track the spread of the novel coronavirus .
The company also said on the call that it ’ s ahead of its schedule on rolling out 5G implementation .

T-Mobile said Thursday it is once again moving to tackle robocalls by scammers, repackaging several features it’s had in place for a while as a program it’s calling Scam Shield. It includes free caller ID and call blocking, free enhanced caller ID to let people know when a number calling is verified, and a free second “proxy” number to filter out scam calls from coming to personal phone lines.
The proxy number can be shared among members on a family plan. Customers can also change their phone numbers for free if they’ve become inundated with spam calls. Scam Shield will be available to all T-Mobile, Metro, and Sprint customers. The new protections can be activated via a free Scam Shield app which will be available July 24th.
Former Sprint customers and existing T-Mobile customers who have been paying a monthly fee for caller ID will now get it for free. The caller ID displays a “scam likely” warning when a suspected scam call is incoming.
T-Mobile claims it’s been a leader in rolling out the inter-network SHAKEN/STIR system that can verify that incoming calls are from actual people instead of robots. But the company’s CEO Mike Sievert said that customers will have to put in a bit of effort with the Scam Shield app if they want to get the most protection from the relentless barrage of spam calls we all continue to get.
Sievert said on a webcast announcing the program that fighting scam calls is “an all out arms race. As long as there’s money to be had, scammers will keep inventing new ways to target you, and we will invent new ways to stop them.” He added that the program, which includes features the company has had in place for a while, is a “throwdown” to T-Mobile’s competitors, with a goal of putting STIR/SHAKEN in the limelight so the industry takes it more seriously.
According to T-Mobile, scams and unwanted robocalls are the top complaint to the Federal Communications Commission costing Americans more than $1 billion a year. And if people aren’t able to screen their calls, they may miss calls from contact tracers who are helping with efforts to track the spread of the novel coronavirus.


theverge--2020-07-16--Instagram’s TikTok competitor is coming to the US next month

Instagram plans to launch its TikTok clone in the US and more than 50 other countries within weeks , NBC News reported this morning .
Instagram later confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature will launch in “ early August ” in the US and more .
The feature , called Reels , is Instagram ’ s attempt to recreate the short musical video format that thrives on TikTok .
Reels will let users record and edit 15-second video clips set to music , or users will be able to reuse audio from another person ’ s video , as is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the feature is only available in a few countries , including India and Brazil .
Reels will be part of Instagram Stories Instagram — like its owner , Facebook — has a history of replicating popular features from other apps .
Its Stories feature was taken from Snapchat , and it led to explosive growth for Instagram , seemingly at Snapchat ’ s expense .
Seeing the rapid growth of TikTok , Instagram is likely hoping to achieve the same feat again .
The launch also comes as political pressure builds against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief of staff Mark Meadows said yesterday that the administration was looking at taking action against TikTok within “ weeks , ” after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo floated a potential ban earlier this month over security concerns .
For now , it sounds like Instagram isn ’ t necessarily going all-in on Reels , though .
Reels will live inside of Instagram Stories , where it ’ ll be one option among many when posting .
And videos won ’ t necessarily stick around , as they do on TikTok , unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TechCrunch previously reported .
It ’ s still unclear exactly how viewers will find Reels to watch .
TechCrunch previously reported that they would live inside of the Explore tab , but NBC News said today that Instagram will add a new tab to the bottom of the screen where you ’ ll be able to watch them .
A dedicated viewing tab could make the experience a lot more like TikTok , which throws users directly into an endlessly scrolling screen of videos .

Instagram plans to launch its TikTok clone in the US and more than 50 other countries within weeks, NBC News reported this morning. Instagram later confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature will launch in “early August” in the US and more.
The feature, called Reels, is Instagram’s attempt to recreate the short musical video format that thrives on TikTok. Reels will let users record and edit 15-second video clips set to music, or users will be able to reuse audio from another person’s video, as is commonly done on TikTok. So far, the feature is only available in a few countries, including India and Brazil.
Reels will be part of Instagram Stories
Instagram — like its owner, Facebook — has a history of replicating popular features from other apps. Its Stories feature was taken from Snapchat, and it led to explosive growth for Instagram, seemingly at Snapchat’s expense. Seeing the rapid growth of TikTok, Instagram is likely hoping to achieve the same feat again.
The launch also comes as political pressure builds against TikTok in the US. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said yesterday that the administration was looking at taking action against TikTok within “weeks,” after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo floated a potential ban earlier this month over security concerns.
For now, it sounds like Instagram isn’t necessarily going all-in on Reels, though. Reels will live inside of Instagram Stories, where it’ll be one option among many when posting. And videos won’t necessarily stick around, as they do on TikTok, unless creators specifically add them to their profile, TechCrunch previously reported.


theverge--2020-07-16--Trump’s Twitter account has extra protections, which could be why it didn’t get hacked

In yesterday ’ s massive attack on Twitter , some of the highest-profile accounts on the service , including President Barack Obama , Joe Biden , Elon Musk , and Bill Gates had their accounts hijacked to peddle bitcoin scams .
Notably , however , Donald Trump , perhaps the most famous Twitter user of all , was untouched by the attack , and it could be because Twitter has implemented extra protections for his account .
In a deeply-reported article on the attack , The New York Times writes that Trump ’ s Twitter account has extra protection after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymous sources — a senior White House official and a Twitter employee .
The New York Times didn ’ t specify what those past incidents were , but they could refer to the November 2nd , 2017 incident where a rogue employee deactivated Trump ’ s account on his last day at the company .
Trump ’ s account returned to Twitter 11 minutes later .
A day after the deactivation , Twitter said it had “ implemented safeguards to prevent this from happening again.
” The company didn ’ t elaborate further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time that Twitter had already limited the number of employees who could access Trump ’ s account following his inauguration .
Those tools typically let employees suspend or deactivate accounts , but don ’ t let them tweet from those accounts , the WSJ said .
Motherboard reported that the people involved in Wednesday ’ s attack were sharing screenshots of a Twitter admin tool apparently used for the attack .
And Twitter itself has said that its own employee systems and tools were compromised .
If those are also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to Trump ’ s account as of 2017 , that could have made his account more difficult , if not impossible , to access from the admin tool used by the attackers .
It ’ s also possible that Trump ’ s account was hardened further after the rogue employee deactivated it in November 2017 .
Twitter hasn ’ t replied to a request for comment , so we can ’ t exactly be sure that those safeguards are what stopped the attackers from hijacking his account on Tuesday .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attackers even tried .
Either way , they didn ’ t get in , and that could have prevented an already very bad situation from getting even worse .

In yesterday’s massive attack on Twitter, some of the highest-profile accounts on the service, including President Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates had their accounts hijacked to peddle bitcoin scams. Notably, however, Donald Trump, perhaps the most famous Twitter user of all, was untouched by the attack, and it could be because Twitter has implemented extra protections for his account.
In a deeply-reported article on the attack, The New York Times writes that Trump’s Twitter account has extra protection after “past incidents,” citing two anonymous sources — a senior White House official and a Twitter employee. The New York Times didn’t specify what those past incidents were, but they could refer to the November 2nd, 2017 incident where a rogue employee deactivated Trump’s account on his last day at the company. Trump’s account returned to Twitter 11 minutes later.
A Twitter employee deactivated Trump’s account in November 2017
A day after the deactivation, Twitter said it had “implemented safeguards to prevent this from happening again.” The company didn’t elaborate further. But The Wall Street Journal reported at the time that Twitter had already limited the number of employees who could access Trump’s account following his inauguration. Those tools typically let employees suspend or deactivate accounts, but don’t let them tweet from those accounts, the WSJ said.
Motherboard reported that the people involved in Wednesday’s attack were sharing screenshots of a Twitter admin tool apparently used for the attack. And Twitter itself has said that its own employee systems and tools were compromised. If those are also the same systems that no longer had widespread access to Trump’s account as of 2017, that could have made his account more difficult, if not impossible, to access from the admin tool used by the attackers. It’s also possible that Trump’s account was hardened further after the rogue employee deactivated it in November 2017.


theverge--2020-07-16--Twitter and the big Bitcoin scam: what happened next

Everything you need to know about the July 15th Twitter hack On July 15th , multiple verified Twitter accounts associated @ @ @ @ @ were hijacked and tweeted out a bitcoin scam .
Several accounts impacted by the breach @ @ @ @ @ Obama , former Vice President Joe Biden , Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk , @ @ @ @ @ co-founder Bill Gates , and Uber .
The takeovers lasted more than two hours , @ @ @ @ @ to prevent other verified accounts from being compromised , such as disabling the ability for @ @ @ @ @ tweets and locking some users out of their accounts .
Twitter is continuing to look @ @ @ @ @ the FBI has launched its own investigation , so there ’ s sure to be @ @ @ @ @ attack on the social media platform .
Follow along with all of the latest updates @ @ @ @ @

On July 15th, multiple verified Twitter accounts associated with public figures and companies were hijacked and tweeted out a bitcoin scam. Several accounts impacted by the breach include Apple, President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, rapper Kanye West, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Uber.
The takeovers lasted more than two hours, and Twitter took extreme measures to prevent other verified accounts from being compromised, such as disabling the ability for some users to send new tweets and locking some users out of their accounts.


theverge--2020-07-16--DoorDash inks deal with Walgreens to provide over-the-counter medicine and snack deliveries

On Thursday , DoorDash announced that it ’ s introducing on-demand delivery services from Walgreens to provide “ everyday essentials ” to your doorstep .
Customers in Atlanta , Chicago , and Denver can now order over 2,300 items from the pharmacy chain , including over-the-counter medication , groceries , snacks , and beauty products .
DoorDash and Walgreens did not mention whether users can also have their prescription medication delivered , so you ’ ll probably still need to go to the store for that .
DoorDash says it plans to expand to other cities with “ major markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cleveland , Minneapolis , Oklahoma City , Phoenix , Sacramento , and Seattle .
If Walgreens isn ’ t your drugstore of choice , DoorDash announced a similar partnership with CVS in June , along with convenience store chains including 7-Eleven , Casey General Store , CircleK , and Wawa .
You can also get Walgreens deliveries through Postmates , which signed a deal in April to deliver over-the-counter medication to your doorstep .
To entice residents living in those participating cities to order “ everyday essentials ” from Walgreens , DoorDash is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first order of $ 15 or more .

On Thursday, DoorDash announced that it’s introducing on-demand delivery services from Walgreens to provide “everyday essentials” to your doorstep. Customers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Denver can now order over 2,300 items from the pharmacy chain, including over-the-counter medication, groceries, snacks, and beauty products. DoorDash and Walgreens did not mention whether users can also have their prescription medication delivered, so you’ll probably still need to go to the store for that.
DoorDash says it plans to expand to other cities with “major markets” this summer, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Seattle.
If Walgreens isn’t your drugstore of choice, DoorDash announced a similar partnership with CVS in June, along with convenience store chains including 7-Eleven, Casey General Store, CircleK, and Wawa. You can also get Walgreens deliveries through Postmates, which signed a deal in April to deliver over-the-counter medication to your doorstep.


theverge--2020-07-16--Twitter’s massive attack: What we know after Apple, Biden, Obama, Musk, and others tweeted a bitcoin

Twitter’s massive attack: What we know after Apple, Biden, Obama, Musk, and others tweeted a bitcoin scam

The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals were compromised on Wednesday in one of the most widespread and confounding breaches the platform has ever seen , all in service of promoting a bitcoin scam that earned its creators nearly $ 120,000 .
Multiple law enforcement investigations , including one from the Federal Bureau of Investigation , are now actively probing the situation over far a deeper concern : that the exploited vulnerability in Twitter ’ s systems — a result it seems of mid-level employees having powerful access to site-wide admin tools that can fall into the wrong hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the platform ’ s most powerful users .
Lawmakers are hounding Twitter for more transparency around the incident , and it seems likely the attack will have longstanding consequences not just for Twitter ’ s own internal tools and security , but for the broaden cybersecurity industry and every high-profile Twitter user on the platform , too .
We still don ’ t know how exactly the hack happened or even to what extent Twitter ’ s own systems were compromised .
But following the unprecedented hacks of accounts including President Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Gates , Kanye West , Michael Bloomberg , and Apple , Twitter took the drastic step of blocking new tweets from every verified user , compromised or no , as well as locking all compromised accounts .
The Twitter attack has exposed serious security risks for the platform ’ s most powerful users One notable exception in the attack was the account of President Donald Trump .
The New York Times is now reporting that Trumps ’ s account has special protections in place following past incidents — including when a third-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deactivate the president ’ s account in 2017 .
Those protections may have spared Trump ’ s account from being taken over , although it is not clear right now whether the hackers even attempted to assume control of his account .
Regardless , the national and international security implications of the Twitter attack are now becoming frighteningly clear , as hackers could have caused far more serious damage with access to such high-profile accounts .
Twitter says it won ’ t restore access to their owners “ until we are certain we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , the company is still working to restore access to locked accounts , although it has confirmed that no password information was stolen by the hackers in control of the affected accounts , seemingly all of which were verified accounts belonging to high-profile companies and individuals .
Even some accounts not affected by the attack remain locked , as Twitter continues its investigation .
Twitter has not yet disclosed whether private and sensitive direct message threads were compromised as part of the account takeovers .
On Wednesday evening , the company revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised and used in the hack , which may explain why even accounts that claimed to have two-factor authentication were still attempting to fool followers with the bitcoin scam .
The account takeovers have subsided , but new scam tweets were posting to verified accounts on a regular basis starting shortly after 4PM ET and lasting more than two hours .
Twitter acknowledged the situation after more than an hour of silence , writing on its support account at 5:45PM ET , “ We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to fix it .
We will update everyone shortly.
” The company took the unprecedented measure of preventing verified accounts from tweeting at all starting sometime around 6PM ET .
This would seem to be the first time Twitter has ever done this in the company ’ s history .
Twitter updated its stance on limiting tweets at 7:18PM ET , writing , “ We ’ re continuing to limit the ability to Tweet , reset your password , and some other account functionalities while we look into this .
Thanks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter said “ most ” verified accounts should be able to tweet , adding , “ As we continue working on a fix , this functionality may come and go.
” Late in the evening , Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wrote , “ Tough day for us at Twitter .
We all feel terrible this happened .
We ’ re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened.
” Product chief Kayvon Beykpour also released a public statement on his personal account , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security incident is still ongoing but we ’ ll be posting updates from @ TwitterSupport with more detail soon .
In the meantime I just wanted to say that I ’ m really sorry for the disruption and frustration this incident has caused our customers.
” The chaos first began to snowball when Tesla CEO Elon Musk ’ s Twitter account was seemingly compromised by a hacker intent on using it to run a bitcoin scam .
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ’ account was also seemingly accessed by the same scammer , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitcoin wallet address .
Both accounts continued to post new tweets promoting the scam almost as fast as they were deleted , and Musk ’ s account in particular was still be under the control of the hacker as late as 5:56PM ET .
A spokesperson for Gates tells Recode ’ s Teddy Schleifer , “ We can confirm that this tweet was not sent by Bill Gates .
This appears to be part of a larger issue that Twitter is facing .
Twitter is aware and working to restore the account.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Gates and Musk ’ s accounts , the accounts of Apple , Uber , former President Barack Obama , Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , hip-hop mogul Kanye West , and former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg , among others , were also compromised and began promoting the scam .
It ’ s unclear how widespread the operation was , but it appears to have affected numerous major companies and extremely high-profile individuals .
That suggests someone , or a group , found a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ login or account recovery process or those of third-party app — or that the perpetrator has somehow gained access to a Twitter employee ’ s admin privileges .
According to Motherboard , numerous underground hacking circles have been sharing screenshots of an internal Twitter administration tool allegedly used to take over the high-profile verified accounts .
Twitter is now removing images of the screenshot from its platform and in some cases suspending users who continue to share it .
So far , Twitter has confirmed that employee tools were used in the hack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a theory as to how hackers might have gotten access .
“ We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools , ” read a tweet from the company ’ s support account recounting in broad terms how the attack happened , in what was Twitter ’ s first explanation of the incident released Wednesday evening .
“ We know they used this access to take control of many highly-visible ( including verified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The origin of the scam can be traced to the moment when Musk ’ s account issued a mysterious tweet at 4:17PM ET reading , “ I ‘ m feeling generous because of Covid-19 .
I ’ ll double any BTC payment sent to my BTC address for the next hour .
Good luck , and stay safe out there !
” The tweet also contained a bitcoin address , presumably one associated with the hacker ’ s crypto wallet .
The tweet was then deleted and replaced by another one more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Feeling grateful doubling all payments sent to my BTC address !
You send $ 1,000 , I send back $ 2,000 !
Only doing this for the next 30 minutes , ” it read before also getting deleted .
The tweet posted to Gates ’ account echoed the Musk tweets , with an identical BTC address attached .
It was also deleted shortly after posting , only for a similar message to take its place a few minutes later .
Hacked accounts were almost all posting the same bitcoin wallet address Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the other rare company accounts compromised .
However , it ’ s not clear if the culprit is the same or if this is some form of a coordinated scam on behalf of a group , as the tweet contained a different BTC address than the ones posted to the other accounts .
In addition to the Cash App , popular crypto Twitter accounts , including those of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss ’ Gemini cryptocurrency exchange and widely used wallet app Coinbase , were also compromised .
Cameron Winklevoss claims the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and used a strong password , and the company is now investigating how it was hit .
Some people apparently fell for the scam and sent money to the associated BTC address , as records of the transactions are public due to the nature of the blockchain-based cryptocurrency .
The scammer amassed nearly $ 120,000 , although it seems as if the account owner is indeed sending money back out as the daily final balance has fluctuated up and down throughout the afternoon , although those accounts may simply be alternative addresses for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Musk has long been the target of bitcoin scammers on Twitter , many of whom create fake accounts designed to look like the entrepreneur and respond to his tweets promoting the scams so that they appear legitimate .
Twitter even went so far as to start locking some accounts that change their name to “ Elon Musk , ” and the company singled out cryptocurrency scammers in spring 2018 as a source of known manipulation and deception that it was aiming to root out through bans and other moderation strategies .
Update @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new details regarding the Twitter hack and the company ’ s response .
Update July 15th , 11:56PM ET : Added Twitter ’ s first attempt to explain what happened , including the confirmation that Twitter ’ s own internal tools were compromised .
Update July 16th , 7:41PM ET : Added additional details regarding investigations launched into the attack , Twitter ’ s ongoing investigations into how it happened , and the company ’ s attempts to restore access to locked accounts .

The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals were compromised on Wednesday in one of the most widespread and confounding breaches the platform has ever seen, all in service of promoting a bitcoin scam that earned its creators nearly $120,000.
Multiple law enforcement investigations, including one from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are now actively probing the situation over far a deeper concern: that the exploited vulnerability in Twitter’s systems — a result it seems of mid-level employees having powerful access to site-wide admin tools that can fall into the wrong hands — has exposed serious security risks for the platform’s most powerful users. Lawmakers are hounding Twitter for more transparency around the incident, and it seems likely the attack will have longstanding consequences not just for Twitter’s own internal tools and security, but for the broaden cybersecurity industry and every high-profile Twitter user on the platform, too.
We still don’t know how exactly the hack happened or even to what extent Twitter’s own systems were compromised. But following the unprecedented hacks of accounts including President Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Michael Bloomberg, and Apple, Twitter took the drastic step of blocking new tweets from every verified user, compromised or no, as well as locking all compromised accounts.
The Twitter attack has exposed serious security risks for the platform’s most powerful users
One notable exception in the attack was the account of President Donald Trump. The New York Times is now reporting that Trumps’s account has special protections in place following past incidents — including when a third-party Twitter contractor used internal company tools to deactivate the president’s account in 2017. Those protections may have spared Trump’s account from being taken over, although it is not clear right now whether the hackers even attempted to assume control of his account.
Regardless, the national and international security implications of the Twitter attack are now becoming frighteningly clear, as hackers could have caused far more serious damage with access to such high-profile accounts.
Twitter says it won’t restore access to their owners “until we are certain we can do so securely.” As of Thursday, the company is still working to restore access to locked accounts, although it has confirmed that no password information was stolen by the hackers in control of the affected accounts, seemingly all of which were verified accounts belonging to high-profile companies and individuals. Twitter says that around 130 accounts were targeted, with the attackers managing to take control of a “small subset” of those. Even some accounts not affected by the attack remain locked, as Twitter continues its investigation. Twitter has not yet disclosed whether private and sensitive direct message threads were compromised as part of the account takeovers; the company says it is “continuing to assess whether non-public data related to these accounts was compromised.”
On Wednesday evening, the company revealed that its own internal employee tools were compromised and used in the hack, which may explain why even accounts that claimed to have two-factor authentication were still attempting to fool followers with the bitcoin scam.
The account takeovers have subsided, but new scam tweets were posting to verified accounts on a regular basis starting shortly after 4PM ET and lasting more than two hours. Twitter acknowledged the situation after more than an hour of silence, writing on its support account at 5:45PM ET, “We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly.”
The company took the unprecedented measure of preventing verified accounts from tweeting at all starting sometime around 6PM ET. This would seem to be the first time Twitter has ever done this in the company’s history. Twitter updated its stance on limiting tweets at 7:18PM ET, writing, “We’re continuing to limit the ability to Tweet, reset your password, and some other account functionalities while we look into this. Thanks for your patience.” At 8:41PM ET, Twitter said “most” verified accounts should be able to tweet, adding, “As we continue working on a fix, this functionality may come and go.”
Late in the evening, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wrote, “Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened. We’re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened.” Product chief Kayvon Beykpour also released a public statement on his personal account, writing, “Our investigation into the security incident is still ongoing but we’ll be posting updates from @TwitterSupport with more detail soon. In the meantime I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry for the disruption and frustration this incident has caused our customers.”
The chaos first began to snowball when Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter account was seemingly compromised by a hacker intent on using it to run a bitcoin scam. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ account was also seemingly accessed by the same scammer, who posted a similar message with an identical bitcoin wallet address. Both accounts continued to post new tweets promoting the scam almost as fast as they were deleted, and Musk’s account in particular was still be under the control of the hacker as late as 5:56PM ET.
A spokesperson for Gates tells Recode’s Teddy Schleifer, “We can confirm that this tweet was not sent by Bill Gates. This appears to be part of a larger issue that Twitter is facing. Twitter is aware and working to restore the account.”
Shortly after the initial wave of tweets from Gates and Musk’s accounts, the accounts of Apple, Uber, former President Barack Obama, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, hip-hop mogul Kanye West, and former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, among others, were also compromised and began promoting the scam.
It’s unclear how widespread the operation was, but it appears to have affected numerous major companies and extremely high-profile individuals. That suggests someone, or a group, found a severe security loophole in Twitter’s login or account recovery process or those of third-party app — or that the perpetrator has somehow gained access to a Twitter employee’s admin privileges. According to Motherboard, numerous underground hacking circles have been sharing screenshots of an internal Twitter administration tool allegedly used to take over the high-profile verified accounts. Twitter is now removing images of the screenshot from its platform and in some cases suspending users who continue to share it.
So far, Twitter has confirmed that employee tools were used in the hack, but not which ones or more than a theory as to how hackers might have gotten access. “We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools,” read a tweet from the company’s support account recounting in broad terms how the attack happened, in what was Twitter’s first explanation of the incident released Wednesday evening. “We know they used this access to take control of many highly-visible (including verified) accounts and Tweet on their behalf.”
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The origin of the scam can be traced to the moment when Musk’s account issued a mysterious tweet at 4:17PM ET reading, “I‘m feeling generous because of Covid-19. I’ll double any BTC payment sent to my BTC address for the next hour. Good luck, and stay safe out there!” The tweet also contained a bitcoin address, presumably one associated with the hacker’s crypto wallet.
The tweet was then deleted and replaced by another one more plainly laying out the fake promotion. “Feeling grateful doubling all payments sent to my BTC address! You send $1,000, I send back $2,000! Only doing this for the next 30 minutes,” it read before also getting deleted. The tweet posted to Gates’ account echoed the Musk tweets, with an identical BTC address attached. It was also deleted shortly after posting, only for a similar message to take its place a few minutes later.
Hacked accounts were almost all posting the same bitcoin wallet address
Square’s Cash App appears to be one of the other rare company accounts compromised. However, it’s not clear if the culprit is the same or if this is some form of a coordinated scam on behalf of a group, as the tweet contained a different BTC address than the ones posted to the other accounts.
In addition to the Cash App, popular crypto Twitter accounts, including those of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss’ Gemini cryptocurrency exchange and widely used wallet app Coinbase, were also compromised. Cameron Winklevoss claims the Gemini account was protected by two-factor authentication and used a strong password, and the company is now investigating how it was hit.
Some people apparently fell for the scam and sent money to the associated BTC address, as records of the transactions are public due to the nature of the blockchain-based cryptocurrency. The scammer amassed nearly $120,000, although it seems as if the account owner is indeed sending money back out as the daily final balance has fluctuated up and down throughout the afternoon, although those accounts may simply be alternative addresses for the same group who perpetrated the attack.
Musk has long been the target of bitcoin scammers on Twitter, many of whom create fake accounts designed to look like the entrepreneur and respond to his tweets promoting the scams so that they appear legitimate. Twitter even went so far as to start locking some accounts that change their name to “Elon Musk,” and the company singled out cryptocurrency scammers in spring 2018 as a source of known manipulation and deception that it was aiming to root out through bans and other moderation strategies.
Update July 15th, 7:33PM ET: Added new details regarding the Twitter hack and the company’s response.
Update July 15th, 8:53PM ET: Added that Twitter restored verified accounts’ tweeting ability.
Update July 15th, 11:56PM ET: Added Twitter’s first attempt to explain what happened, including the confirmation that Twitter’s own internal tools were compromised.
Update July 16th, 7:41PM ET: Added additional details regarding investigations launched into the attack, Twitter’s ongoing investigations into how it happened, and the company’s attempts to restore access to locked accounts.


theverge--2020-07-16--NASA delays the launch of its next powerful space observatory, the James Webb, by seven months

NASA has once again delayed the launch of its new powerful space observatory , the James Webb Space Telescope , mostly due to disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic .
Most recently slated to fly in March of 2021 , the massive telescope is now scheduled to launch on October 31st , 2021 .
The Government Accountability Office , or GAO , had already predicted this delay .
NASA came up with the new date after doing an extensive review to see if the March 2021 timing was actually possible .
The agency attributes about three months of the delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to be put in place to keep people safe from the coronavirus .
“ Much of the impact , of course , comes from people not being at work , right ?
” Thomas Zurbuchen , the associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA , said during a press conference .
“ Not touching the hardware or from having a reduced number of people available to do shifts.
” However , coronavirus isn ’ t solely to blame .
Two additional months were added to the schedule thanks to technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northrop Grumman , as it pieced the telescope together and conducted testing .
Northrop Grumman has already dealt with numerous technical problems during the development of the spacecraft , such as washers and screws coming loose during tests — as well as accidental tears in the vehicle ’ s thin sunshield , which is designed to protect the observatory from the intense heat of the Sun .
NASA then added an extra two months as schedule margin , in case other unknown problems crop up between now and launch .
The James Webb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been plagued with delays throughout its entire history .
The observatory , first conceived in the 1990s , was projected to cost between $ 1 billion and $ 3.5 billion , with a launch date somewhere between 2007 and 2011 , according to the Government Accountability Office .
Ever since then , the cost of the project has ballooned and the launch date has been repeatedly delayed .
In 2011 , Congress replanned the entire project , creating a cap of $ 8 billion on the telescope ’ s development , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , NASA delayed the project yet again , stating that $ 8.8 billion was needed for the development , and that the entirety of the mission would cost $ 9.66 billion , including the cost of operating the telescope in space .
That year , NASA set the March 2021 launch date .
NASA does not expect to exceed that budget any further , even with the new delay .
“ Based on current projections , the program expects to complete the remaining work within the new schedule , without requiring additional funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director for James Webb , said during a press call , “ where we use existing program funding to stay within this $ 8.8 billion development cost cap.
” “ We ’ re not expecting to go beyond October 31st.
” NASA says it has already spoken with Arianespace , the company that will launch JWST , about the delay .
The company claims that the rocket ’ s intended ride , the Ariane 5 , will be ready to take the vehicle to space next Halloween .
NASA is also standing firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re not expecting to go beyond October 31st , ” Robinson said .
“ We have high confidence in that.
” The James Webb Space Telescope is destined to be the most powerful space observatory ever built when it ’ s launched , capable of peering back in time to when the Universe first came into being 13.8 billion years ago .
The telescope sports a massive gold-plated mirror , measuring 21 feet , or 6.5 meters , across , that will gather light from the distant reaches of the cosmos @

NASA has once again delayed the launch of its new powerful space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, mostly due to disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently slated to fly in March of 2021, the massive telescope is now scheduled to launch on October 31st, 2021.
The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, had already predicted this delay. NASA came up with the new date after doing an extensive review to see if the March 2021 timing was actually possible. The agency attributes about three months of the delay to social distancing and other precautions that had to be put in place to keep people safe from the coronavirus. “Much of the impact, of course, comes from people not being at work, right?” Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said during a press conference. “Not touching the hardware or from having a reduced number of people available to do shifts.”
coronavirus isn’t solely to blame
However, coronavirus isn’t solely to blame. Two additional months were added to the schedule thanks to technical challenges experienced by the primary contractor, Northrop Grumman, as it pieced the telescope together and conducted testing. Northrop Grumman has already dealt with numerous technical problems during the development of the spacecraft, such as washers and screws coming loose during tests — as well as accidental tears in the vehicle’s thin sunshield, which is designed to protect the observatory from the intense heat of the Sun. NASA then added an extra two months as schedule margin, in case other unknown problems crop up between now and launch.
The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, has been plagued with delays throughout its entire history. The observatory, first conceived in the 1990s, was projected to cost between $1 billion and $3.5 billion, with a launch date somewhere between 2007 and 2011, according to the Government Accountability Office. Ever since then, the cost of the project has ballooned and the launch date has been repeatedly delayed.
In 2011, Congress replanned the entire project, creating a cap of $8 billion on the telescope’s development, with a launch in 2018. But in 2018, NASA delayed the project yet again, stating that $8.8 billion was needed for the development, and that the entirety of the mission would cost $9.66 billion, including the cost of operating the telescope in space. That year, NASA set the March 2021 launch date.
NASA does not expect to exceed that budget any further, even with the new delay. “Based on current projections, the program expects to complete the remaining work within the new schedule, without requiring additional funds,” Gregory Robinson, the program director for James Webb, said during a press call, “where we use existing program funding to stay within this $8.8 billion development cost cap.”
“We’re not expecting to go beyond October 31st.”
NASA says it has already spoken with Arianespace, the company that will launch JWST, about the delay. The company claims that the rocket’s intended ride, the Ariane 5, will be ready to take the vehicle to space next Halloween. NASA is also standing firm by the October 31st date. “We’re not expecting to go beyond October 31st,” Robinson said. “We have high confidence in that.”


theverge--2020-07-16--The FBI opens investigation into Twitter attack over national security concerns

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into Wednesday ’ s unprecedented Twitter attack that resulted in numerous takeovers of high-profile accounts belonging to politicians , business leaders , and corporations , according to a report from The Wall Street Journal .
The FBI is concerned that the coordinated attack and the vulnerabilities it exposed in Twitter ’ s systems may pose serious security risks , due to the widespread compromising of sensitive accounts , including those of President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
President Donald Trump ’ s account was not affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells the WSJ , but it ’ s unclear if Trump ’ s account has special protections .
Twitter tells The Verge it is in communication with the FBI regarding its investigation and intends to fully cooperate .
“ At this time , the accounts appear to have been compromised in order to perpetuate cryptocurrency fraud , ” the FBI said in a statement given to the WSJ .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is also having the state ’ s Department of Financial Services investigate the attack , the report states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to our democracy and New York will continue to lead the fight to protect our democracy and the integrity of our elections in any way we can , ” Cuomo said , according to the New York Post .
Twitter says its own internal employee tools were compromised as part of the attack New York Attorney General Letitia James also opened an investigation following this morning ’ s news that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have begun calling for Twitter to provide more transparency about how the attack was carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter to read and watch the news , to engage in public debate , and to hear directly from political leaders , activists , business executives , and other thought leaders , ” James said in a statement .
“ Last night ’ s attack on Twitter raises serious concerns about data security and how platforms like Twitter could be used to harm public debate .
I have ordered my office to open an immediate investigation into this matter.
” The attack , which involved hackers taking control of popular accounts with millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scam , was the work of a group of unknown individuals .
Twitter now says the group used social engineering techniques of some type to gain control of internal company tools .
Those tools allowed the hackers to gain access to the accounts , although Twitter has not specified how exactly this happened .
In the aftermath of the account takeovers , which lasted for more than two hours , Twitter had to resort to extreme measures to mitigate the fallout , including disabling the ability for verified accounts to send new tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts and even some accounts that were not targeted by the hackers .
The company is still working to restore access to locked accounts as of this afternoon .
Motherboard reported yesterday that the hackers did not in fact breach any Twitter systems , but instead allegedly paid a Twitter employee to reset the email addresses associated with the affected accounts , thereby giving unauthorized access to the hackers who then tweeted out the cryptocurrency scam tweets .
Twitter has not openly disputed this account of the event , but it is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the story is an accurate representation of what happened .
The company is still investigating and has not yet shared its full findings .

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into Wednesday’s unprecedented Twitter attack that resulted in numerous takeovers of high-profile accounts belonging to politicians, business leaders, and corporations, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The FBI is concerned that the coordinated attack and the vulnerabilities it exposed in Twitter’s systems may pose serious security risks, due to the widespread compromising of sensitive accounts, including those of President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. President Donald Trump’s account was not affected, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tells the WSJ, but it’s unclear if Trump’s account has special protections. Twitter tells The Verge it is in communication with the FBI regarding its investigation and intends to fully cooperate.
“At this time, the accounts appear to have been compromised in order to perpetuate cryptocurrency fraud,” the FBI said in a statement given to the WSJ. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also having the state’s Department of Financial Services investigate the attack, the report states. “Foreign interference remains a grave threat to our democracy and New York will continue to lead the fight to protect our democracy and the integrity of our elections in any way we can,” Cuomo said, according to the New York Post.
Twitter says its own internal employee tools were compromised as part of the attack
New York Attorney General Letitia James also opened an investigation following this morning’s news that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have begun calling for Twitter to provide more transparency about how the attack was carried out. “Countless Americans rely on Twitter to read and watch the news, to engage in public debate, and to hear directly from political leaders, activists, business executives, and other thought leaders,” James said in a statement. “Last night’s attack on Twitter raises serious concerns about data security and how platforms like Twitter could be used to harm public debate. I have ordered my office to open an immediate investigation into this matter.”
The attack, which involved hackers taking control of popular accounts with millions of followers to tweet out a bitcoin scam, was the work of a group of unknown individuals. Twitter now says the group used social engineering techniques of some type to gain control of internal company tools. Those tools allowed the hackers to gain access to the accounts, although Twitter has not specified how exactly this happened.
In the aftermath of the account takeovers, which lasted for more than two hours, Twitter had to resort to extreme measures to mitigate the fallout, including disabling the ability for verified accounts to send new tweets and locking down all of the affected accounts and even some accounts that were not targeted by the hackers. The company is still working to restore access to locked accounts as of this afternoon.


theverge--2020-07-16--Logitech launches new keyboard case for 11-inch iPad Pro

Logitech announced the Folio Touch , a new keyboard case for the 11-inch iPad Pro model ( both the 2018 and 2020 versions ) .
It ’ s a more affordable alternative to Apple ’ s Magic Keyboard and is similar to the Logitech Combo Touch for earlier iPad models .
The case features a foldable keyboard with a full row of shortcut keys for iPadOS , which are notably missing from the Magic Keyboard .
The keys are backlit and adjust their brightness based on ambient lighting .
The Folio includes a touchpad as well , which supports multi-finger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pinch , and double tap .
The kickstand is adjustable , tilting up to 40 degrees , and you can fold the keyboard behind the back of the iPad ( something you can ’ t do with the Magic Keyboard ) .
You can use a connected iPad in four modes , depending on the iPad ’ s angle and the placement of the keyboard : typing , viewing , sketching , and reading .
The Folio Touch connects to the iPad Pro via Apple ’ s Smart Connector , which is built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That means the two devices will pair automatically ( no need to dink around with Bluetooth ) and you won ’ t need to charge the Folio separately — it draws power from the iPad .
The Folio Touch will be available sometime in July 2020 for $ 160 .
You ’ ll be able to get it from Logitech and Apple .
If you ’ d like to know more about Logitech ’ s keyboards , check out our review of the Combo Touch for the 10.2-inch iPad , third-generation iPad Air @ @ @ @ @ @

Logitech announced the Folio Touch, a new keyboard case for the 11-inch iPad Pro model (both the 2018 and 2020 versions). It’s a more affordable alternative to Apple’s Magic Keyboard and is similar to the Logitech Combo Touch for earlier iPad models.
The case features a foldable keyboard with a full row of shortcut keys for iPadOS, which are notably missing from the Magic Keyboard. The keys are backlit and adjust their brightness based on ambient lighting. The Folio includes a touchpad as well, which supports multi-finger gestures, including swipe, scroll, pinch, and double tap.
Logitech
The kickstand is adjustable, tilting up to 40 degrees, and you can fold the keyboard behind the back of the iPad (something you can’t do with the Magic Keyboard). You can use a connected iPad in four modes, depending on the iPad’s angle and the placement of the keyboard: typing, viewing, sketching, and reading.
The Folio Touch connects to the iPad Pro via Apple’s Smart Connector, which is built into the side of the tablet. That means the two devices will pair automatically (no need to dink around with Bluetooth) and you won’t need to charge the Folio separately — it draws power from the iPad.
The Folio Touch in “sketch mode.” Image: Logitech
The Folio Touch will be available sometime in July 2020 for $160. You’ll be able to get it from Logitech and Apple.


theverge--2020-07-16--Twitter says passwords were spared in yesterday’s attack, but it’s still working to restore locked a

Twitter says passwords were spared in yesterday’s attack, but it’s still working to restore locked accounts

Twitter says it has “ no evidence ” user passwords were accessed as part of yesterday ’ s massive attack targeting the company ’ s internal tools , but it is still working to restore access to locked accounts .
The updates were shared as part of a series of tweets posted Thursday afternoon .
Yesterday , attackers hijacked the accounts of some of the most-followed people on Twitter , including President Barack Obama , Vice President Joe Biden , Elon Musk , Bill Gates , and Kanye West , to post bitcoin scams .
The company made the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a precaution to reduce further damage from the attacks , and it provided more detail about why accounts were locked in this afternoon ’ s tweets .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , and as part of our incident response yesterday to protect people ’ s security , we took the step to lock any accounts that had attempted to change the account ’ s password during the past 30 days , ” Twitter said .
The company added that if an account was locked , that didn ’ t “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised , and it believes only a “ small subset ” of locked accounts actually were .
Twitter says it ’ s working “ ASAP ” to restore access , but the process may still take some time .
Although Twitter says it doesn ’ t believe passwords were accessed , it remains unclear if the attackers were able to access direct messages .
In addition to locking some accounts , Twitter also completely disabled the ability of all verified accounts to tweet last night for a few hours following the hack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets while the limits were in place .
Last night , Twitter shared that its own internal tools were compromised in the attack .
“ We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools , ” Twitter said in a tweet sent yesterday at 10:38PM ET .
Two anonymous sources told Motherboard that a Twitter employee helped them take over accounts , with one saying they paid the employee for their help .

Twitter says it has “no evidence” user passwords were accessed as part of yesterday’s massive attack targeting the company’s internal tools, but it is still working to restore access to locked accounts. The updates were shared as part of a series of tweets posted Thursday afternoon.
Yesterday, attackers hijacked the accounts of some of the most-followed people on Twitter, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Kanye West, to post bitcoin scams. The company made the decision to lock many accounts last night as a precaution to reduce further damage from the attacks, and it provided more detail about why accounts were locked in this afternoon’s tweets.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and as part of our incident response yesterday to protect people’s security, we took the step to lock any accounts that had attempted to change the account’s password during the past 30 days,” Twitter said. The company added that if an account was locked, that didn’t “necessarily mean” that the account was compromised, and it believes only a “small subset” of locked accounts actually were.
Twitter says it’s working “ASAP” to restore access, but the process may still take some time.
Although Twitter says it doesn’t believe passwords were accessed, it remains unclear if the attackers were able to access direct messages.
In addition to locking some accounts, Twitter also completely disabled the ability of all verified accounts to tweet last night for a few hours following the hack, though verified accounts could still retweet existing tweets while the limits were in place.


theverge--2020-07-16--Netflix adds another whopping 10 million subscribers, but warns growth may slow

Netflix is still growing as people continue to shelter in place around the country , but the company is now seeing the slowed subscriber growth executives predicted would arrive three months ago .
On top of announcing that longtime chief content officer Ted Sarandos would join CEO Reed Hastings as co-CEO , the company made a few impressive announcements .
Netflix added 10.2 million subscribers in its second quarter , beating the company ’ s own estimates that it made in its first quarter , which suggested it could add around 7.5 million .
Netflix noted that it added 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two quarters of 2020 alone ; in 2019 , the company added 28 million subscribers in total .
The company ’ s revenue grew 25 percent year over year , but missed its revenue goals for the quarter .
The undeniably strong performances of the first two quarters are something the company is proud of , but executives still warning investors about reading too much into .
Netflix is anticipating adding 2.5 million subscribers in its third quarter , down from 6.8 million in last year ’ s same quarter .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the second half of 2020 compared to the prior year , ” the letter to shareholders reads .
“ As we navigate these turbulent circumstances , we ’ re focused on our members by continuing to improve the quality of our service and bringing new films and shows to people ’ s screens.
” As Netflix settles into its “ new normal , ” a term that companies are using to define navigating the current pandemic landscape , there are a couple of big questions that Netflix will have to answer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow , and whether the company ’ s executives can provide a clearer picture of how much the pandemic is accelerating its business .
The other , and arguably the most important one for Netflix subscribers , is how much longer Netflix can keep up its rapid pace of releasing new titles .
Netflix ’ s core advantage is its seemingly never-ending lineup of movies and TV shows that keep people ’ s attention .
But as questions loom over when film and TV production can kick off again , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold back .
“ For 2021 , based on our current plan , we expect the paused productions will lead to a more second half weighted content slate in terms of our big titles , although we anticipate the total number of originals for the full year will still be higher than 2020 , ” Netflix ’ s shareholders letter reads .
While new streamers like Peacock ( NBCUniversal ) and HBO Max ( WarnerMedia ) are facing major programming delays for some of their initial original titles because of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new titles for people to watch .
This month alone , Netflix is set to release 59 new TV seasons , movies , and documentaries , among others .
In comparison , Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus each had two notable originals .
Amazon Prime Video , Hulu , and HBO Max had a smattering of originals , but none came close to Netflix ’ s output .
“ Netflix has been able to transform themselves as an original content powerhouse ” Back in April , Netflix ’ s chief content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t worried about output , but that was three months ago .
“ Netflix will certainly have to keep up with it , ” Steve Nason , a senior media analyst at Parks Associates , told The Verge .
“ Netflix has been able to transform themselves as an original content powerhouse .
They still have to keep that output up to an extent , especially with each of these new major competitors figuring out different ways to go about grabbing subscribers .
The key thing is the exclusivity of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Max , Netflix doesn ’ t have a wealth of classic shows and movies it can just offer to people , so its strategy is creating as many originals as possible and licensing other titles — especially from international markets — the company can label as “ Netflix Originals.
” That ’ s on top of paying for blockbuster movies like Extraction and Spenser Confidential , which Netflix told Bloomberg amassed 99 million and 89 million streams within the first four weeks of their release .
The company has become the new home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed around the world .
Now , with Charlize Theron ’ s The Old Guard , and highly anticipated shows like The Umbrella Academy ’ s second season , Netflix is proving to be the season ’ s dominant streamer .
“ Netflix is establishing themselves as one of the core foundational services people have to have , ” Nason said .
“ They have such a low churn rate compared to competitors , and that ’ s because , in part , of their low cost and content output .
It would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subscribers to get rid of Netflix .
It makes them the number one foundational service.
” The big challenge that Netflix ’ s unprecedented growth last quarter set up for the company is determining how many more subscribers the service can find .
Netflix ’ s earlier prediction essentially said that around 7.5 million people would sign up in April , May , and June , instead of late March .
That ’ s when stay-at-home orders first went into effect in the United States en masse and people were clamoring for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unprecedented growth last quarter set up for the company is determining how many more subscribers the service can find Considering that growth in the United States has mostly slowed over the last 18 months — with the understanding that most people in the United States who want Netflix probably already have Netflix — being able to add millions of subscribers in three months is still an impressive feat .
As predicted , most of those subscribers are coming from international territories .
Now , Netflix ’ s new guidance for investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumers get through the initial shock of Covid and social restrictions , ” the letter reads .
“ There are a decent amount of people who have never been exposed to Netflix before , even though they ’ re the most used service , so when COVID hit , Netflix benefited from that growth , ” Nason said .
What ’ s clear is that parts of Netflix ’ s business are continuing to benefit from the pandemic , but the uncertainties around how long this will last means Netflix will also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reenter production in countries where it ’ s possible to do so , including Iceland and other parts of Europe , and to license content where they can .
But that ’ s true for Netflix ’ s competitors , too , and it ’ s here that Netflix ’ s stance as a leader in the space is helping it weather the storm .
“ What happens with Netflix impacts the entire space , ” Nason said .
“ If there is a true leader in the SVOD space , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with them or to them can , and likely will , ripple down to the other services .
”

Netflix is still growing as people continue to shelter in place around the country, but the company is now seeing the slowed subscriber growth executives predicted would arrive three months ago.
On top of announcing that longtime chief content officer Ted Sarandos would join CEO Reed Hastings as co-CEO, the company made a few impressive announcements. Netflix added 10.2 million subscribers in its second quarter, beating the company’s own estimates that it made in its first quarter, which suggested it could add around 7.5 million.
Netflix noted that it added 26 million paid new subscribers in the first two quarters of 2020 alone; in 2019, the company added 28 million subscribers in total. The company’s revenue grew 25 percent year over year, but missed its revenue goals for the quarter. The undeniably strong performances of the first two quarters are something the company is proud of, but executives still warning investors about reading too much into. Netflix is anticipating adding 2.5 million subscribers in its third quarter, down from 6.8 million in last year’s same quarter.
“As a result, we expect less growth for the second half of 2020 compared to the prior year,” the letter to shareholders reads. “As we navigate these turbulent circumstances, we’re focused on our members by continuing to improve the quality of our service and bringing new films and shows to people’s screens.”
As Netflix settles into its “new normal,” a term that companies are using to define navigating the current pandemic landscape, there are a couple of big questions that Netflix will have to answer. One is how much more can Netflix grow, and whether the company’s executives can provide a clearer picture of how much the pandemic is accelerating its business.
The other, and arguably the most important one for Netflix subscribers, is how much longer Netflix can keep up its rapid pace of releasing new titles. Netflix’s core advantage is its seemingly never-ending lineup of movies and TV shows that keep people’s attention. But as questions loom over when film and TV production can kick off again, there’s a possibility that Netflix may have to hold back.
“For 2021, based on our current plan, we expect the paused productions will lead to a more second half weighted content slate in terms of our big titles, although we anticipate the total number of originals for the full year will still be higher than 2020,” Netflix’s shareholders letter reads.
While new streamers like Peacock (NBCUniversal) and HBO Max (WarnerMedia) are facing major programming delays for some of their initial original titles because of the pandemic, Netflix is serving up a whopping number of new titles for people to watch. This month alone, Netflix is set to release 59 new TV seasons, movies, and documentaries, among others. In comparison, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus each had two notable originals. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and HBO Max had a smattering of originals, but none came close to Netflix’s output.
“Netflix has been able to transform themselves as an original content powerhouse”
Back in April, Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos said that the company wasn’t worried about output, but that was three months ago. “Netflix will certainly have to keep up with it,” Steve Nason, a senior media analyst at Parks Associates, told The Verge. “Netflix has been able to transform themselves as an original content powerhouse. They still have to keep that output up to an extent, especially with each of these new major competitors figuring out different ways to go about grabbing subscribers. The key thing is the exclusivity of it all.”
Unlike Disney Plus or HBO Max, Netflix doesn’t have a wealth of classic shows and movies it can just offer to people, so its strategy is creating as many originals as possible and licensing other titles — especially from international markets — the company can label as “Netflix Originals.” That’s on top of paying for blockbuster movies like Extraction and Spenser Confidential, which Netflix told Bloomberg amassed 99 million and 89 million streams within the first four weeks of their release. The company has become the new home for the summer blockbuster with theaters still closed around the world.
Now, with Charlize Theron’s The Old Guard, and highly anticipated shows like The Umbrella Academy’s second season, Netflix is proving to be the season’s dominant streamer. “Netflix is establishing themselves as one of the core foundational services people have to have,” Nason said. “They have such a low churn rate compared to competitors, and that’s because, in part, of their low cost and content output. It would take something extraordinary for many of its subscribers to get rid of Netflix. It makes them the number one foundational service.”
The big challenge that Netflix’s unprecedented growth last quarter set up for the company is determining how many more subscribers the service can find. Netflix’s earlier prediction essentially said that around 7.5 million people would sign up in April, May, and June, instead of late March. That’s when stay-at-home orders first went into effect in the United States en masse and people were clamoring for more entertainment.
The big challenge that Netflix’s unprecedented growth last quarter set up for the company is determining how many more subscribers the service can find
Considering that growth in the United States has mostly slowed over the last 18 months — with the understanding that most people in the United States who want Netflix probably already have Netflix — being able to add millions of subscribers in three months is still an impressive feat. As predicted, most of those subscribers are coming from international territories. Now, Netflix’s new guidance for investors is that “growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of Covid and social restrictions,” the letter reads.
“There are a decent amount of people who have never been exposed to Netflix before, even though they’re the most used service, so when COVID hit, Netflix benefited from that growth,” Nason said.
What’s clear is that parts of Netflix’s business are continuing to benefit from the pandemic, but the uncertainties around how long this will last means Netflix will also have to start preparing. Netflix is trying to reenter production in countries where it’s possible to do so, including Iceland and other parts of Europe, and to license content where they can. But that’s true for Netflix’s competitors, too, and it’s here that Netflix’s stance as a leader in the space is helping it weather the storm.


theverge--2020-07-16--Netflix names content chief Ted Sarandos as co-CEO

Longtime Netflix executive Ted Sarandos has been named co-chief executive officer alongside co-founder Reed Hastings , the company announced today as part of its second quarter earnings release on Thursday .
“ Ted has been my partner for decades .
This change makes formal what was already informal — that Ted and I share the leadership of Netflix , ” Hastings said in a letter to shareholders .
The letter does not state if the move is effective immediately .
Hastings added in a blog on the company ’ s website that he doesn ’ t expect much to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Netflix.
” Hastings added that “ our key executive leadership groups are unchanged , ” and he further characterized as the move as “ Ted ’ s well deserved promotion formalizing how we already run the business today.
” It ’ s a day of executive changes at Netflix , and Hastings noted in his blog post that these “ changes are part of a long process of succession planning.
” Succession planning can insinuate that the current CEO is gearing up to leave , but Hastings has no plans to depart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blog post that he ’ s “ committed to Netflix for the long term , ” and in an earnings call with analysts , reiterated that he was in it for the long haul .
“ To be totally clear , I ’ m in for a decade — let me be really clear on that , ” Hastings said .
“ I ’ m in for a decade .
As co-CEO , it ’ s two of us full time .
It ’ s not like a part time deal.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we already run the business today.
” Sarandos , who joined Netflix in 1999 and has been with the company for more than 20 years , has long served as chief content officer , a role that has involved overseeing Netflix ’ s massively successfully originals program starting with series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards .
Since then , Sarandos has transformed the company into one of the biggest power players in Hollywood .
As part of the move , Sarandos has also been elected to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve also been tremendously fortunate in the teams we ’ ve built at Netflix , as we ’ ve reinvented ourselves again and again to meet our members ’ needs : from DVD to streaming , from licensing to originals , from series to film and from US to local language stories told by creators all around the world , ” Sarandos said in the same blog post .
As part of Netflix ’ s storied history , Sarandos is one of the key players involved in setting up the platform as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 200 million subscribers .
Back in 2013 , Sarandos was asked by The Hollywood Reporter that if he had to do it all over again , would he spend the amount of money he did on House of Cards — a $ 100 million deal that not even Hastings knew about at the time .
Sarandos ’ response : that if they were really going to try and get into the originally programming game , he didn ’ t want their attempt to fail “ because we didn ’ t try hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough.
” It ’ s quite an understatement .
Since 2013 , Sarandos has been instrumental in Netflix ’ s content strategy , which has helped the company shed its DVD mail service beginnings and transform into a Hollywood juggernaut .
More than half of the titles on Netflix are now originals as the company as weaned itself off licensing , while the talent pool Netflix works with has grown to include directors like Martin Scorsese , Ava DuVernay , and Richard Linklater .
The streamer now often dominates award show conversations as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be reckoned with , all in less than a decade .
Most of that is credited to Sarandos and his team of executives working on both the TV and film side .
“ Having watched Reed and Ted work together for so long , the board and I are confident this is the right step to evolve Netflix ’ s management structure so that we can continue to best serve our members and shareholders for years to come , ” lead independent director Jay Hoag said .
“ I ’ m committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alongside Sarandos ’ promotion , Netflix also announced that Greg Peters has been appointed chief operating officer on top of his chief product officer role .
Hastings noted in the blog post that Peters ’ appointment as chief operating officer “ reflects the strategic and analytical strengths he ’ s brought to our product team over the past 10 years.
” “ I still pinch myself when I think about what we ’ ve built together — with almost 200 million members and tremendous room for growth as consumers embrace internet entertainment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to improve our service and the quality of our shows and films we can get to serve hundreds of millions more people over the next ten years .
It ’ s why I am so excited about being at Netflix for the decade ahead.
” Update July 16th , 7:45pm ET : Updated to include additional comment from Reed Hastings .

Longtime Netflix executive Ted Sarandos has been named co-chief executive officer alongside co-founder Reed Hastings, the company announced today as part of its second quarter earnings release on Thursday.
“Ted has been my partner for decades. This change makes formal what was already informal — that Ted and I share the leadership of Netflix,” Hastings said in a letter to shareholders. The letter does not state if the move is effective immediately.
Hastings added in a blog on the company’s website that he doesn’t expect much to change “in terms of the day-to-day running of Netflix.” Hastings added that “our key executive leadership groups are unchanged,” and he further characterized as the move as “Ted’s well deserved promotion formalizing how we already run the business today.”
It’s a day of executive changes at Netflix, and Hastings noted in his blog post that these “changes are part of a long process of succession planning.” Succession planning can insinuate that the current CEO is gearing up to leave, but Hastings has no plans to depart anytime soon. Hastings noted in his blog post that he’s “committed to Netflix for the long term,” and in an earnings call with analysts, reiterated that he was in it for the long haul.
“To be totally clear, I’m in for a decade — let me be really clear on that,” Hastings said. “I’m in for a decade. As co-CEO, it’s two of us full time. It’s not like a part time deal.”
“Ted’s well deserved promotion formalizing how we already run the business today.”
Sarandos, who joined Netflix in 1999 and has been with the company for more than 20 years, has long served as chief content officer, a role that has involved overseeing Netflix’s massively successfully originals program starting with series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. Since then, Sarandos has transformed the company into one of the biggest power players in Hollywood. As part of the move, Sarandos has also been elected to the board of directors.
“I’ve also been tremendously fortunate in the teams we’ve built at Netflix, as we’ve reinvented ourselves again and again to meet our members’ needs: from DVD to streaming, from licensing to originals, from series to film and from US to local language stories told by creators all around the world,” Sarandos said in the same blog post.
As part of Netflix’s storied history, Sarandos is one of the key players involved in setting up the platform as a foundational streaming video product now home to nearly 200 million subscribers. Back in 2013, Sarandos was asked by The Hollywood Reporter that if he had to do it all over again, would he spend the amount of money he did on House of Cards — a $100 million deal that not even Hastings knew about at the time. Sarandos’ response: that if they were really going to try and get into the originally programming game, he didn’t want their attempt to fail “because we didn’t try hard enough or we weren’t ambitious enough.”
It’s quite an understatement. Since 2013, Sarandos has been instrumental in Netflix’s content strategy, which has helped the company shed its DVD mail service beginnings and transform into a Hollywood juggernaut. More than half of the titles on Netflix are now originals as the company as weaned itself off licensing, while the talent pool Netflix works with has grown to include directors like Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, and Richard Linklater. The streamer now often dominates award show conversations as it’s become an entertainment force to be reckoned with, all in less than a decade. Most of that is credited to Sarandos and his team of executives working on both the TV and film side.
“Having watched Reed and Ted work together for so long, the board and I are confident this is the right step to evolve Netflix’s management structure so that we can continue to best serve our members and shareholders for years to come,” lead independent director Jay Hoag said.
“I’m committed to Netflix for the long term.”
Alongside Sarandos’ promotion, Netflix also announced that Greg Peters has been appointed chief operating officer on top of his chief product officer role. Hastings noted in the blog post that Peters’ appointment as chief operating officer “reflects the strategic and analytical strengths he’s brought to our product team over the past 10 years.”
“I still pinch myself when I think about what we’ve built together — with almost 200 million members and tremendous room for growth as consumers embrace internet entertainment,” Hastings wrote. “If we continue to improve our service and the quality of our shows and films we can get to serve hundreds of millions more people over the next ten years. It’s why I am so excited about being at Netflix for the decade ahead.”