BURLINGTON, Mass. – September 26, 2011 – Veracode, Inc., provider of the world’s only independent, cloud-based application risk management platform, today released its newest infographic, Twacked: When Good Twitter Accounts Go Bad. With news of USA Today’s Twitter account being hacked over the weekend, this infographic is especially timely as it details several of the more recent and now infamous Twitter hacks, and examines common entry points for hackers including weak passwords and malicious email attachments.

Beginning with a list of banned passwords and the most recent attacks on the “Top 10” most followed Twitter accounts, “Twacked” presents a comprehensive case for the need to improve the security of social media applications. Whether it’s a hacker gaining access to an account through a mobile device or directly through an email-delivered Trojan, more needs to be done to protect individuals and organizations that use tools like Twitter from becoming a victim. Of course, while passwords like “123456” and nearly 400 others are not allowed by Twitter, it’s nearly impossible to protect against user error and careless use.

“The USA Today breach and various celebrity Twitter hacks have worked to shine a greater spotlight on the vast number of vulnerabilities that exist within social media applications,” said Connie Stack, vice president of corporate marketing, Veracode. “This infographic works to demonstrate the exponential risks posed to individuals and organizations, from both a privacy and brand perspective. We hope this serves as a visual reinforcement and further ‘call to action’ for users to ensure the applications they are engaging with have been fully verified for security and devoid of weaknesses that will make them a target.”

The “Twacked” infographic was created in conjunction with Measured SEM and NowSourcing. It follows Veracode’s previous infographic that featured a comprehensive timeline of the events surrounding the News of the World scandal. “Twacked” is available for download from the Veracode site: http://www.veracode.com/resources/twitter-infographic. Interested parties have permission to embed and share the infographic on their websites or blogs with attribution.

About Veracode

Veracode is the only independent provider of cloud-based application intelligence and security verification services. The Veracode platform provides the fastest, most comprehensive solution to improve the security of internally developed, purchased or outsourced software applications and third-party components. By combining patented static, dynamic and manual testing, extensive eLearning capabilities, and advanced application analytics, Veracode enables scalable, policy-driven application risk management programs that help identify and eradicate numerous vulnerabilities by leveraging best-in-class technologies from vulnerability scanning to penetration testing and static code analysis. Veracode delivers unbiased proof of application security to stakeholders across the software supply chain while supporting independent audit and compliance requirements for all applications no matter how they are deployed, via the web, mobile or in the cloud. Veracode works with customers in more than 80 countries worldwide including Global 2000 brands such as Barclays PLC and Computershare as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For more information, visit www.veracode.com, follow on Twitter:@Veracode or read the ZeroDay Labs blog.

Copyright © 2011 Veracode, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Media Contacts: Liz Campbell (for Veracode U.S.) fama PR phone: +1 617-986-5009 email: veracode@famapr.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it