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Home / World

Donald Trump Twitter hacked with MAGA password

news.com.au
17 Dec, 2020 07:09 AM2 mins to read

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Stephen Miller Trump Campaign Senior Advisor insisted today the Trump campaign still had 'more than enough time' to overturn. Video / Fox News

Donald Trump's pride and joy – his Twitter account – was hacked in October after a man successfully guessed his password – MAGA2020 – Dutch prosecutors have found.

While both the outgoing US President and Twitter have previously denied that Victor Gevers accessed his account, Gevers made the hack public immediately.

One of the screenshots shared by Victor Gevers as evidence he had hacked into Donald Trump's Twitter account. Photo / Supplied
One of the screenshots shared by Victor Gevers as evidence he had hacked into Donald Trump's Twitter account. Photo / Supplied

On October 22, Gevers shared what he claimed were screenshots from inside Trump's account, also revealing the password he used to get in: maga2020!

"We believe the hacker has actually penetrated Trump's Twitter account, but has met the criteria that have been developed in case law to go free as an ethical hacker," the public prosecutors office in the Netherlands (OM) said.

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A man uses his smartphone to read a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump attacking CNN and the television network's president, Jeff Zucker, for alleged media bias. Photo / Getty Images
A man uses his smartphone to read a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump attacking CNN and the television network's president, Jeff Zucker, for alleged media bias. Photo / Getty Images

It added that hacking was a criminal offence in the Netherlands.

But "special circumstances, also referred to in practice as 'responsible disclosure'," could stop prosecutors from taking steps, the OM added.

Dutch prosecutors made their findings based on an investigation by police's specialist cyber unit called Team High-tech Crime.

"Both the hacker and the American authorities have been informed of the outcome of the investigation," prosecutors said.

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At the time of the hacking, Gevers told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that he was motivated to show up Trump's security flaws in the lead up to the US election.

He explained the President's account was not using basic security measures such as two-step verification.

"I expected to be blocked after four failed attempts. Or at least would be asked to provide additional information," he said.

Gevers was among other hackers who claimed earlier this year they accessed Trump's Twitter using the password "yourefired" – his famous catchphrase from his reality TV series The Apprentice.

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