Story Behind Bizarre Strategic Command Tweet

By Dave McKay | March 31, 2021

Gobbledegook Tweet Causes Panic

An ominous tweet from the US Strategic Command—the agency responsible for looking after America’s nukes—simply said “;l;;gmlxzssaw”.

Was it a message in a strange code, or maybe a glitch in the software? Had the account been hacked—and if so, what else had been hacked?

Thankfully, this time, there’s no need for panic. It turns out a working-from-home manager had left his computer unattended and his young child mashed on the keyboard a few times. No need for panic, but there is a need for concern.

Basic cybersecurity steps shouldn’t get ignored just because you’re working at home. Always lock your your computer when you step away from it.

  • Windows: Press the Windows Key and “L” at the same time.
  • Mac: Command-Control-Q locks your screen.
  • Linux: SuperKey and “L” locks your Gnome desktop session.

Get into the habit of doing this every time you leave your desk. It’s basic cyber-hygiene.

You don’t want the cat sitting on your keyboard and nuking the document you’re working on. Or anything else for that matter.

Source: BBC