How a hacking guru could save Elon Musk $44bn in the battle over Twitter – The Telegraph
Twitter has called Zatko a disgruntled employee who was fired for poor performance. Twitter's lawyers said on Tuesday that Musk's latest effort to terminate the deal was invalid and wrongful under the agreement. Of Zatkos whistleblowing claims, the social networking site has said: What weve seen so far is a false narrative about Twitter and our privacy and data security practices that is riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies and lacks important context.
Whereas any other tech industry worker could be ignored, Zatkos background lends some weight to his claims about Twitter. As one of the cybersecurity worlds founding characters, the former Cult of the Dead Cow hacker rubbed shoulders with pioneering ethical hackers.
CDC's hacking specialism was creating software tools that exploited security flaws in Windows, with the aim of forcing Microsoft to fix problems in the world's most popular computer operating system. Mudge's personal contribution was a tool named l0phtcrack, which unscrambled Windows users passwords.
His exploits quickly caught official eyes. In 1998 Mudge was one of seven hackers who said they could shut down the entire internet in 30 minutes, with the group making their extraordinary claim while testifying to the US Congress.
One of Mudge's contemporaries, Chris Wysopal, recalled the impact of those 1990s disclosures in a 2018 interview, saying: "Mudge and I have had meetings with Senator Mark Warner. We know Senator Cory Gardner. These guys are on the Senate Intelligence Committee." Wysopal also said the FBI had vetted the hackers at the time of their exploits to verify them as "good guys".
Mudge later turned to the corporate world where his technical and leadership skills were in high demand. Ever higher-profile jobs in the white collar world of information technology, which by the 2010s had become one of the world's dominant industries, beckoned.
In 2015 Mudge was called upon by the Obama White House to set up a software testing organisation. Two years later he returned to the private sector as head of security for Stripe, the payments processor; his success there caught the eye of Jack Dorsey, who tapped up the veteran hacker in 2020 to run security at Twitter.
By November 2021 Mr Dorsey had resigned, however, saying: I believe the company is ready to move on from its founders. His replacement was Twitter's chief technical officer, Parag Agrawal. Within tech companies there is always a tension between the IT department and the security department, and so it proved at Twitter: Mudge was ousted in January, with Twitter giving the reason as "poor performance".
Analysts say Zatkos whistleblowing claims could have implications in Musks ongoing litigation as he attempts to walk away from the $44bn takeover, which has centred around whether Twitter is honest about how many bots there are on the social network.
Ives, the Wedbush analyst, adds: Importantly, Zatko claims that Twitter does not have an accurate count of the number of spam and fake bot accounts on its platform, which will be front and centre for the Musk team.
Musk and Twitter are due to go to court on October 17 with the spotlight firmly on its former security chiefs explosive claims.
Excerpt from:
How a hacking guru could save Elon Musk $44bn in the battle over Twitter - The Telegraph
- Children face two-hour social media cap in screen time overhaul - The Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- An experimental online study on the impact of negative social media comments on anxiety and mood | Scientific Reports - Nature - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- "Social media is just such a false perception of reality" - Caitlin Clark shares the secrets to staying grounded in the era of social media... - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Naver targets North America with Interest-based social platform 'ThingsBook' - digitimes - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Inside the social networks behind Irish myths and legends - RTE.ie - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Social balance in directed networks - Nature - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- The Chicago Sky are trying to protect their players on social media. Here's what that means - ABC News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Beyond missing pets and packages: How Nextdoor plans to reshape its social network - The Spokesman-Review - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Jack Dorsey backs an open-source development collective with $10 million - Engadget - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- From scraps to silence: The untold story of Orkut's meteoric rise and quiet exit - Storyboard18 - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Meta agrees to hand over data of child porn channel operators - The Witness | Your compass in the community - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Uni students warned about promoting overseas gambling websites on social media - RNZ - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- UAE: Woman ordered to pay Dh30,000 for insulting another woman on social media - Khaleej Times - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- This is how people in 2025 are getting their news - The World Economic Forum - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Why a VC is betting AI is 'the opposite of social media' and will forge more human connections - Business Insider - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Coinbase unveils Base App, rebrands wallet as all-in-one social and trading platform - The Block - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- "I'm confused at the delusion we're having in social media" - Gilbert Arenas says people on social media would hate on prime Kobe Bryant -... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Jack Dorsey Pledges $10Mn to and Other Stuff Collective for OpenSource Decentralised Social Media - outlookbusiness.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- With social networking, payment, and AI all included, will Base APP become Alipay on the chain? - PANews - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- "Kendrick Perkins deleted his TwitterI think that should be on my resume" - Blake Griffin links Perks social media deactivation to his... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Imagen Network Uses RLUSD to Improve Multichain AI Utility in Personalized Social Apps - Newsfile - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- "There was nothing like it" - Jim Jackson recalls the insane popularity of the Bulls in the 90s and how social media ruined the NBA today -... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Beyond missing pets and packages: How Nextdoor plans to reshape its social network - Los Angeles Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Social networking service Nextdoor relaunches with news, alerts - Tech in Asia - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Nextdoor Relaunches Network With a Focus on News, Alerts and AI - Bloomberg.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Londons Best New Social & Networking Clubs, From Art To Wine - Country and Town House - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- The new movie about OpenAI's Sam Altman sounds a lot like 'The Social Network.' Should he care? - Business Insider - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Understanding the psychological drivers of online self-presentation: a survey study on social media exposure, social comparison, social network type... - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The echoes of social media friends travels: social influence and venue selection in a hyperconnected world - Nature - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Writing in the digital age: understanding the relationship between social media use and college students writing skills and anxiety - Nature - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- How social media and AI can work together for travel discovery - PhocusWire - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Trump Media files for 'Crypto Blue Chip ETF' with SEC - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- The CEO of the social network X, Linda Yaccarino, has resigned - Zamin.uz - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Positive attitudes toward AI linked to more prone to problematic social media use - PsyPost - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Social media use linked to depression risk in preteens - theweek.in - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Misinformation lends itself to social contagion heres how to recognize and combat it - The Conversation - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Halifax breaks silence after customers wake up to 'distressing' message in app - Birmingham Live - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Social Networking Market to Reach USD 209.82 Billion by 2030, - openPR.com - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- You cant pause the internet: social media creators hit by burnout - The Guardian - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- 'The Social Network' is getting a sequel. Here's our dream cast. - Business Insider - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Return of The Social Network - Splice Today - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Quentin Tarantino Said the Best Movie of the 2010s Is This Andrew Garfield Drama With 96% on Rotten Tomatoes - Comic Book Resources - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- What is doxing? A glimpse into the battle for anonymity on social media - EL PAS English - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Inside Zuckerbergs Meta: How the Company is Reshaping Social Media and the Metaverse - Vocal - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- ICEBlock climbs to the top of the App Store charts after officials slam it - Engadget - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Self-regulation has proven a failure: Brazilian leaders defend the need for social media regulation - Poynter - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- I Never Thought I'd Say This But We Really Need The Social Network 2 Right Now - TheGamer - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- World Social Media Day 2025: Celebrating Connection & Creativity - The Bridge Chronicle - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- World Social Media Day 2025: From Orkut Scraps to Instagram Reels The Evolution of Online Networking in India - BizzBuzz - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Brenda Song opens up about Disney's restriction for her role in 'The Social Network' - Geo.tv - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Social media reacts to jibe at players over fixture schedule - Yahoo Sports - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Iran using social media to recruit spies at scale, former Mossad official warns - The Telegraph - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Can you turn off generative AI from social media and your phone? - RNZ - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Meet 19 startups in social networking, dating, and AI that investors have their eyes on - Business Insider - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- She Ripped German Conservatives on Social Media. They Didnt Forget. - The New York Times - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Social Network Sequel in the Works With Aaron Sorkin Writing, Directing for Sony - The Hollywood Reporter - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- How Jesse Eisenberg Can Crush His (Potential) Role in The Social Network Part II - Hey Alma - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Authorities arrest fugitive who police say posted on social media following New Orleans jailbreak - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Social Network Sequel in the Works, Directed by Aaron Sorkin - Variety - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- In Alabama, a Social Media Influencer Really Gets Wild - The New York Times - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Brenda Song Says Disney Didnt Want Her Acting in Gran Torino and The Social Network. She Fought Back: This Is the Opportunity of a Lifetime - Variety - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Social Network 2 Is Missing The Best Part Of The First Movie's 96% RT Success - Screen Rant - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Aaron Sorkin will direct a sequel to 'The Social Network' inspired by The Facebook Files - Business Insider - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Aaron Sorkin is making a sequel to The Social Network - The Verge - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Nine Pressing Questions About The Social Network Part II - The Ringer - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Social Network Part II Is Coming and Aaron Sorkin Is Taking on a New Role - Gizmodo - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Maximization style and social media addiction linked to relationship obsessive compulsive disorder - PsyPost - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Sequel to The Social Network on the way - Boing Boing - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Aaron Sorkin and Sony working on The Social Network sequel - Screen Daily - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Social Network Part II in the works - NME - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- The Social Network Sequel Is Finally Happening After a 15-Year Wait, But With 1 Big Change - Comic Book Resources - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Social Network Part II Is Happening, And Facebook Probably Wont Like It - Kotaku - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Social Network sequel in the works; Aaron Sorkin to direct - Daijiworld - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Social Network Part II in the Works with Aaron Sorkin Writing and Directing - Yahoo - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- A Social Network Sequel Is Finally Happening, But There's One Big Problem - SlashFilm - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- 'The Social Network Part II' Is Happening. It's an Even Bigger Deal Than You Think. - Esquire - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Social Network 2 - The Social Network 2 is officially in the works, and here's what we know so far - Cosmopolitan India - Cosmopolitan India - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Social Network 2 Is in the Works With a Script by Aaron Sorkin - Us Weekly - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Another Facebook movie is coming, and it's gonna be dark - SFGATE - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- The Social Network Part II In The Works At Sony Aaron Sorkin To Write And Direct - empireonline.com - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]