Twitter rolls out 2-factor authentication vs hackers

Twitter on Thursday (Manila time) has implemented a two-factor authentication system that seeks to thwart hackers following a series of attacks that compromised many of its users' accounts,

 

In a blog post, Jim O'Leary of the Twitter product security team said many accounts were compromised by email phishing schemes or a breach of password data.

 

"When you sign in to twitter.com, there’s a second check to make sure it’s really you. You’ll be asked to register a verified phone number and a confirmed email address," O'Leary said.

 

He said users can turn on the option when they go to their account settings page and select “Require a verification code when I sign in.”

 

Once they activate the feature, they will be required to enter a six-digit code Twitter will send to their phones via SMS.

 

"With login verification enabled, your existing applications will continue to work without disruption. If you need to sign in to your Twitter account on other devices or apps, visit your applications page to generate a temporary password to log in and authorize that application," O'Leary said.

 

He advised users to think of a strong password for the two-factor authentication.

 

A separate article on CNET said the two-factor system is similar to that of Facebook, and requires members to provide a phone number where Twitter can send them a unique code with each login attempt.  — ELR, GMA News