It looks like the French network TV5Monde – currently embattled after a major security breach saw 11 channels affected and caused huge embarrassment on its social media accounts – is making it incredibly easy to hack into its various online profiles.
An interview with David Delos, a reporter with TV5Monde, on French current affairs programme 13 Heures following the cyberattack saw him sitting in front of someone’s workspace, with post-its plastered everywhere that appear to provide logins for a number of the network’s social media accounts.
It’s a bit grainy when watching the footage within the full 13 Heures hour-long slot, however the segmented video is a bit clearer, with the since-removed YouTube version apparently clearer still.
So clear that eagle-eyed Twitterer pent0thal read the YouTube password as “lemotdepassedeyoutube”, which translates quite clearly to “thepasswordofyoutube”. You wonder how hackers ever got through.
Apparent logins for YouTube and Instagram circled in red, via 13 Heures
Not just that, but pent0thal found another instance following TV5Monde’s hack that revealed a staffer’s personal login for something.
Of course TV5Monde is not the first major operation to have fallen foul to this (these) error(s) of judgement.
A few years back the Royal Air Force (RAF) revealed a swathe of usernames and passwords in a photo-op with Britain’s Prince William.
Four of the 10 images taken and distributed to press departments all over the UK contained sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords of RAF staff.
Facepalm statue image, via Shutterstock
