Top US Cyber Diplomat Says His Personal Twitter Account Hacked

A record 2.7 million online scams were taken down last year by the National Cyber Security Centre Dominic Lipinski/PA

The United States’ first cyber security diplomat, Nate Fick, reported that his personal Twitter account was hacked on Feb. 4.

In a post, Fick called the security breach part of the “perils of the job,” but didn’t offer further details.

He said users should visit the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy’s page to follow his official business, adding that his personal account will remain “mostly weather, mountain biking, and backcountry skiing.”

Fick was sworn in as the nation’s inaugural ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy last September. Before joining the U.S. Department of State, Fick worked as both an executive and entrepreneur in the world of technology.

Between Feb. 6 and Feb. 10, Fick will travel to Seoul, South Korea, to meet with officials and discuss cooperation on cybersecurity, technology infrastructure, and digital regulation. After the Korean visit, the ambassador will be in Boracay, Philippines, for the third Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Digital Ministers’ Meeting.

The Feb. 4 security breach arrives on the heels of a January controversy when multiple media reports claimed 200 million emails linked to Twitter user profiles were stolen.

A spokesperson for the social media giant responded by saying they found, “no evidence that data recently being sold was obtained by exploiting a vulnerability of Twitter systems.”

Fick’s appointment couldn’t be more timely, as threats to digital security infrastructure from China and Russia are at a historic high. Moreover, cyber vulnerability has risen in lockstep with political tensions.

One 2022 cyber security report discovered more than 65,000 data vulnerabilities, representing a 21 percent spike from 2021.

Digital security measures used by governments and the private sector are becoming increasingly obsolete due to the evolving knowledge of cybercriminals, according to a 2022 risk assessment from the World Economic Forum.

And with more cyber crime comes more damage in the form of dollars. The cost of hacker-related crime worldwide is estimated to reach $8 trillion this year and is forecasted to top $10 trillion by 2025.

Historically, social media data breaches are among the most common cyber hacks. A report from 2018 showed that social media hacks accounted for 56 percent of all data breaches in just the first half of the year.

The United States also ends up paying the most when it comes to data hacks. A 2021 analysis indicated America suffered the highest average total cost per data breach at just over $9 million.

The State Department was unable to respond to a request for comment in time for deadline.