'Compromised' Ford X Account Really Goes After Israel

Ford Motor Company isn't having a great holiday week so far. The automaker spent Monday apologizing to the public after an apparent hack on its official X account posted a series of Gaza-sympathetic tweets, reports the Hill. "Israel is a terrorist state," said one since-deleted post, captured in a screenshot by Rep. Ritchie Torres. Two others read: "ALL EYES ON GAZA" and "Free Palestine." By Monday evening, Ford had issued a mea culpa, saying its account had been "briefly compromised." "Three posts were made that were not authorized or posted by Ford," the company wrote. "They do not represent the views of Ford Motor Company."

David Derigiotis of the Flow Specialty insurance brokerage tells CBS Detroit that in situations like these, hacked companies would do well to gain control of their accounts ASAP and make sure the hackers can no longer access their properties. Who the hackers are specifically going after isn't always clear. "It could be employees being targeted, [or] the company itself," says Derigiotis. "It could be the social media manager or individuals who handle marketing ... or it could be somebody on the X side as well." Ford says it's investigating. (More Ford Motor Co. stories.)