NLCB disables social media accounts after hacking incident

THE National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) says it has disabled all of its social media accounts after its Twitter account – @NLCBTT – was hacked and links to porn sites, among other odd messages, were tweeted.

NLCB director Michael Jogee, in a statement issued yesterday, said "with respect to spam messages being shared by (our) Twitter account, evidence points to the account in question being hacked."

Jogee said the board therefore chose to disable all official social media accounts, inclusive of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn "while a thorough investigation of the administrative protocols of (our) digital media platforms is conducted." A check of Twitter showed @NCLBTT is now a private account.

Jogee also addressed another recent incident in the statement – the accidental broadcast of a test draw ahead last Saturday.

Saying the company has noted concerns raised in "legacy and social media" about the integrity of its lottery draws, Jogee insisted that best practice is followed in each draw.

"The machines used are tested to ensure that calibration of the balls is sound and without fault. If any machine is deemed faulty during these tests, they are taken out of the draw and sent to the Bureau of Standards for recalibration. This process happens every day at every draw to ensure the highest integrity and standards are met with regards to our daily draws.

"What transpired on Saturday, August 25," Jogee continued, "was simply the airing of a live broadcast, via social media channels, of a test draw rather than the actual draw. Viewers online would have seen CNMG cut from regular programming to do their customary live broadcast while a test draw was being wrapped up. The actual draw was in no way tampered with."

Jogee said the NLCB wishes to assure the public that it will continue to adhere to international best practice and standards as it serves the public.