Any Microsoft fans who were hoping to catch up with the company’s latest YouTube videos over the weekend would have been in for an unpleasant surprise: All of the videos had disappeared, replaced by five videos soliciting advertisers for the channel, along with a message that read “I DID NOTHING WRONG I SIMPLY SIGNED INTO MY ACCOUNT THAT I MADE IN 2006 :/”
The hack lasted a few hours, with Microsoft releasing a statement during that time saying simply, “We are aware that someone has altered the YouTube channel devoted to Microsoft videos. We are working with YouTube to rectify the situation.” All of Microsoft’s official videos were removed as a result of the hack, as was the channel’s description, and the channel’s home country was changed to the United Kingdom.
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Less than three hours after Microsoft’s initial statement on the matter, the company released a second statement, announcing that it had “regained control of the Microsoft channel on YouTube, and we are working to restore all of the original content. We will continue to work with YouTube to ensure safeguards are in place for the future.”
The hack is the second high-profile hack of a YouTube channel in as many weeks; while Microsoft may be embarrassed and frustrated at having to replace all of its content (It’s all back up now), at least it didn’t have to see its videos replaced by hardcore pornography. Clearly, it’s time for YouTube to reassess its security procedures.
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[via GeekWire]
Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.