Twitter warns users targeted by state-sponsored attacks

Facebook and Google already warn you if they think you're the victim of a state-sponsored cyberattack, and now Twitter is joining the fray. The social network recently alerted some users that that they "may have been targeted" by government attackers trying to get email addresses, network connections and phone numbers. Twitter doesn't think the intruders got any account info, but it's offering suggestions (including using Tor) to anyone worried their personal info is out in the wild.

It's not certain which country was responsible, and there isn't much of a pattern in the attacks. Some of the targets are activists or security gurus, but there's no obvious thread linking everyone. In that sense, the warnings are raising more questions than answers -- just how worried should people be? Still, it's good to know that Twitter isn't waiting before it gives users a crucial heads-up.