Syrian hackers break into CNN's social media accounts

The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility on Thursday for hacking some of US broadcaster CNN’s social media accounts.

The network said the compromised accounts included its main Facebook page, its Twitter page and blogs for its programmes <i>The Situation Room</i> and <i>Crossfire</i>.

The Time Warner-owned company deleted the compromised posts shortly after.

“The posts were deleted within minutes and the accounts have since been secured,” it said in a story on its website.

A posting regarding China’s sale of US Treasuries and its policies for the South China Sea were among those deleted, Bloomberg reported.

“We have secured those accounts and are working with the affected vendors to remedy the issue,” Penelope Heath, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for CNN, said by e-mail on Friday, according the Bloomberg.

CNN added that one of the posts on its Twitter account said: “Syrian Electronic Army Was Here...Stop lying... All your reports are fake!”

On its Twitter feed, the Syrian Electronic Army said it was behind the hack. “Tonight, the *SEA decided to retaliate against CNN’s viciously lying reporting aimed at prolonging the suffering in Syria,” it said.

The group, which backs Syria’s government, has previously hacked accounts of Skype, as well as The New York Times, Agence France-Presse and other media organisations.