Microsoft’s official X account was compromised this week, and the attackers apparently decided that cryptocurrency promotion should come with a healthy dose of Clippy nostalgia.
After gaining access to the account, the attackers followed another account and reposted a message asking how many likes it would take to bring back Microsoft’s famously annoying paperclip assistant. The post came from an account that has since been suspended and was apparently part of a cryptocurrency promotion.
Microsoft later confirmed that its X account had been accessed without authorization. The company removed the posts and said it had secured the account while investigating what happened. It also apologized for the Clippy post and made clear that Microsoft does not endorse cryptocurrency.
The whole incident is particularly awkward because the compromised account’s message ended by telling users to trust only Microsoft’s official channels for information about the company.
The paperclip has gone from one of Microsoft’s most mocked creations to something of an internet nostalgia icon. Microsoft has occasionally brought Clippy back for jokes, stickers, and other appearances, and references to the character now tend to generate considerably more enthusiasm than they did during his original Office career.
That makes the hacked post almost believable, until the cryptocurrency angle becomes apparent.
For Microsoft, the immediate priority is obviously securing its social-media accounts. But once the security investigation is over, perhaps the company could take one lesson from the incident, as it seems that people really do miss Clippy now.