Allegations made by a former Twitter Inc. executive that the social network had lax data protections have raised concerns among lawmakers and cyber experts that the alleged vulnerabilities pose a threat to national security.
Former security chief Peiter Zatko, also known as “Mudge,” filed a whistleblower complaint with US authorities, citing “egregious deficiencies” in the social media company’s ability to repel attackers. The most damning claims made by Zatko, who was fired earlier this year for what Twitter described as poor performance, suggest that the company relied on outdated software and that executives were unaware of the level of access employees had to user accounts. In addition, Zatko suggested that Twitter is vulnerable to espionage from foreign governments and that some employees may be working for government intelligence agencies.
