Twitter is becoming the latest social media giant to enter the additional security arena. This comes after thousands of user passwords were compromised by hackers. Those users that were compromised seem to be almost all of the early users of Twitter with account set up dates in 2007.

User Protection

The social media household name will soon begin implementing a “two-factor authentication” option, also referred to as “2FA.” In this type of internet security setting, users would be blocked from logging on from unknown devices unless certain security measures are met. This usually involves obtaining a numerical or alpha-numerical code via text message to the correct user’s cell phone and entering it on the website.

While Twitter has not indicated whether they will release this new security technology to all users free of charge or if they will offer the service for a small fee, other companies have used similar programs with great success. Google, for example, has a closely related security measure for its G-Mail account users.

But is it enough?

Hacking is an ever evolving art form. Just when social media and other websites feel they have sufficient security to ultimately meet the needs of all users, another scandal hits.

This is why Twitter reminds users to keep their account information secure. According to Twitter’s Help Center, users are advised to:

– Always use a strong password that is not easy to guess.

– To watch out for any ‘suspicious’ links that may lead to phishing websites, etc.

– Select third party applications with care, including those as part of social media apps and on smart phones.

– To keep any browsers used to access to Twitter website up-to-date, virus free, and current.

– To always make sure they are on an official Twitter website before attempting to enter any username and/or password information.

By keeping these things in mind, the company hopes to ward off many small scale hacking or password phishing attempts of thousands of individual users.

Twitter also encourages users to report suspicious activity, both for their own accounts and for any followers or those they follow. By allowing the company to stay informed about any particular breaches in security, they can help plan and combat future large scale attacks.

While this combination of platform based security and user attention might work to help future hacking, it still remains to be seen whether or not Twitter’s plans will be sufficient.