Zerodha CEO's X account hacked after he fell for phishing
What's the story
Nithin Kamath, the co-founder and CEO of online brokerage firm Zerodha, has revealed that his personal account on X was briefly hacked. The incident happened after he fell for a phishing email disguised as a security alert. In a post on X, Kamath explained how he received an email early in the morning that looked like a genuine notification about suspicious login activity.
Account breach
Attackers posted scam links on his account
The phishing email prompted Kamath to click on a "Change Your Password" link and enter his password. This gave the attackers access to one active login session, which they used to post cryptocurrency-related scam links from his account. However, Kamath clarified that two-factor authentication (2FA) was enabled on his account. This security measure prevented the attackers from taking full control of the account or logging in from additional devices.
Cybersecurity awareness
Phishing email bypassed standard spam and security filters
Kamath said the phishing email had bypassed standard spam and security filters, appearing to be "fully AI-automated and not personal." He stressed that even those who are well-versed in cybersecurity protocols can be prone to momentary lapses in judgment. The incident underscores the importance of human behavior in security systems, with Kamath emphasizing that while tools like 2FA are critical, they can't fully mitigate human errors.
Twitter Post
'All it took was one slight slip of the mind'
So, my personal Twitter account was compromised yesterday because I fell for a phishing e-mail early in the morning while at home when browsing on my personal device.
— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) October 16, 2025
A momentary lapse in attention. The e-mail got through all spam and phishing filters. I clicked on the 'Change… pic.twitter.com/4x4Pg8MtUj
Cybersecurity frameworks
Kamath calls for cybersecurity frameworks in organizations, governments
In light of the incident, Kamath has called for cybersecurity frameworks in organizations and governments to consider both technical and human vulnerabilities. He said, "As important as technical cybersecurity are human processes, policies, procedures that account for worst-case scenarios and the psychology of the weakest link." The compromised posts were taken down shortly after the incident, and access to his account was restored.