The recent hack of the popular YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips has sent shockwaves through the tech community. With over 15 million subscribers, Linus Tech Tips is one of the most popular content creators on the platform, providing hardware reviews, tutorials, and news to tech enthusiasts around the world. However, that all changed when the channel was hacked by crypto scammers, who used it to run Bitcoin ads.
The hack occurred earlier yesterday morning, with the hacker gaining access to Linus Sebastian’s account. They then proceeded to make several live broadcasts about Elon Musk and Bitcoin, while also making some private videos on the channel public. While it’s unclear whether this was done by YouTube staff or the hacker themselves, the account was eventually deleted.
The channel is now back, and Linus has posted a video detailing how the hack unfolded.
Fans of the channel were left reeling from the loss of almost a decade’s worth of videos. However, Sebastian had backed up his old videos using a “Vault” backup system and is an advocate of using the 3-2-1 method of storing data across multiple storage devices (including one offsite). This is a valuable lesson for other content creators, who may not have taken the necessary precautions to safeguard their data.
It’s not just Linus Tech Tips that has been affected by this hack, either. Other hardware accounts under the Linus media conglomerate, including Techquicke and TechLinked, were also hit. This highlights the importance of taking cyber security seriously, and the need for all content creators to take steps to protect their accounts and data.
It’s unclear at this stage what safety measures YouTube provides creators to safeguard their accounts, and whether these were breached in this case. Kotaku reached out to YouTube for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. This lack of transparency is concerning, and it’s essential that YouTube takes steps to ensure the security of its platform and the creators who use it.
The hack of Linus Tech Tips is a stark reminder of the dangers of the internet, and the importance of cyber security. Content creators must take responsibility for protecting their accounts and data, while platforms like YouTube must ensure that they are providing adequate security measures to safeguard their users. With the rise of crypto scams and other cyber threats, it’s more critical than ever to stay vigilant and take proactive steps to protect ourselves online.
