NFL tightens social media security after hackers launch pre-Super Bowl attack
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The NFL has tightened social media security after hackers launched a wide-ranging attack just days before Super Bowl LIV.
A number of NFL teams' Twitter accounts have recently been targeted by hackers, including the Twitter accounts for the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, who meet in the Super Bowl in Miami on Sunday.
“On Monday, the NFL Cybersecurity department became aware of a breach of a league-related social media account. Targeted breaches and additional failed attempts were discovered across the league and team accounts,” the NFL explained in a statement released Tuesday. “The NFL took immediate action and directed the teams to secure their social media accounts and prevent further unauthorized access. Simultaneously, the league alerted the social media platform providers and, with their assistance, secured all league and club accounts. We continue to work diligently with the teams, which have resumed normal operations.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NFL TEAMS' TWITTER ACCOUNTS HACKED AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL LIV
“The NFL and teams are cooperating with its social media platform providers and law enforcement,” the league added.
Signage is displayed near the FOX Sports South Beach studio compound prior to Super Bowl LIV on January 25, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. The San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the 54th playing of the Super Bowl, Sunday February 2nd. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
On Monday afternoon, the official Green Bay Packers account tweeted a now-deleted message that purported to be from the OurMine hacking group. “We are here to show people that everything is hackable to improve your accounts security [sic],” the tweet read.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Green Bay Packers' avatar was also removed from the team's official Twitter account. Fox News has reached out to the Green Bay Packers with a request for comment on this story.
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The Kansas City Chiefs’ official Twitter account was similarly compromised, according to the Kansas City Star. While the message from OurMine had been deleted from the Chiefs’ Twitter account, the team’s avatar was not visible on the account for a period on Monday. The avatar was subsequently restored.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The San Francisco 49ers’ avatar was also temporarily missing from the team’s official Twitter account on Monday, as well as some of the details that describe the account, although these were restored. "We are aware of the issue and are working with NFL cyber security and the platforms to address it,” a spokesman for the San Francisco 49ers told Fox News, via email on Monday afternoon.
On Sunday, the Chicago Bears’ official Twitter account was also hacked. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a fake news tweet, which has since been deleted, was sent out announcing that the team had been sold to a Saudi government official.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Apologies that our account was compromised this morning. We're back in the game & ready for the Pro Bowl,” the Chicago Bears subsequently tweeted.
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CBS Sports reported that over a dozen NFL team Twitter accounts have been hacked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers