Cloudflare foiled a complex phishing operation targeting Twilio, causing notable damage.

In a recent turn of events, telecommunications company Twilio has found itself at the centre of a sophisticated phishing attack, with questions being raised about the company's response approach and the resiliency of its authentication security practices.

According to reports, the attack originated from four phone numbers issued by T-Mobile, targeting both personal and work phones of Twilio employees. The extent of the potential impact remains unclear, as Twilio has not disclosed the number of customers or employees potentially affected by the attack.

The phishing campaign, which is under ongoing investigation by Twilio, bears similarities to a sophisticated attack that targeted Cloudflare employees earlier. Unlike Twilio, Cloudflare was able to thwart the intrusion, with no compromise found when reviewing access logs to its employee directory.

However, the attack on Cloudflare was not without consequence. Three employees, Ishan Ugargol, Shelby Spees, and Francis McFarland, were affected before the attack spread to Twilio employees. It is reported that at least 76 Cloudflare employees received phishing text messages in less than a minute.

Frank Dickson, group VP at IDC, has suggested that Twilio could be more forthcoming with details about the attack, as transparency and proactive approaches can help restore brand integrity and trust following such an incident.

Analysts are also voicing concerns about Twilio's investigation and response, with some suggesting that improvements are needed. Twilio has not provided a timeline for when more details about the attack will be shared.

The compromise of Twilio's two-factor authentication adds another worrying wrinkle to the potential impact of such an attack. Attacks on third-party vendors such as Twilio and Cloudflare pose inherently greater risks because a breach could potentially compromise customer data.

The type of customer data exposed as a result of the Twilio attack is currently unknown. However, the situation should lead Twilio's customers and partners to exercise greater caution in using the company's products.

A domain registered at Porkbun was used in the phishing campaign, raising questions about the security measures in place at domain registrars. As the investigation into the Twilio phishing attack continues, it serves as a reminder for all companies to prioritize security and transparency in the face of such threats.

Cloudflare foiled a complex phishing operation targeting Twilio, causing notable damage.