Redmond - UPI
Skype says no user accounts were compromised when the video-chatting service's blog and Twitter and Facebook accounts were hacked by the Syrian Electronic Army. Messages telling Skype to "Stop spying on people" were posted on the accounts, CNET reported Wednesday. "Don't use Microsoft emails (hotmail,outlook), They are monitoring your accounts and selling it to the governments. More details soon. #SEA," the hackers posted on Skype's Facebook page. Skype deleted the messages. A Skype spokesman said in an email message, "We recently became aware of a targeted cyberattack that led to access to Skype's social media properties, but these credentials were quickly reset. No user information was compromised." Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the National Security Agency, leaked documents last year that allegedly reveal Skype installed a secret access portal that allows U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor video and audio calls. Microsoft, which owns Skype, has criticized extrajudicial government spying and promises to install stronger encryption to protect the Internet privacy of its users. The Syrian Electronic Army, which supports the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, has taken credit for a number of high-profile cyberattacks, including the New York Times, Twitter and the Viber messaging app.