Twitter Introduces 'Two-Factor Authentication' To Control Hacking

Bangalore: After a spate of recent attacks on various prominent Twitter accounts including the ones of Associated Press and Financial Times, the social networking site has finally decided to give its users the option of enabling added security to the Twitter accounts. The company announced that it has finally introduced the two-factor authentication to protect the accounts from hackers, reports The Financial Post.

The feature asks users to confirm identity after a typical log-in, by entering a six-digit code sent to Smartphones. Each time a user attempts to log in to the Twitter account, the user should enter the code sent via text message to the number tied to the account, which makes it really hard for a  hacker to compromise an account without access to the user’s phone.

Repeated hacking incidents have led to questions about Twitter’s credibility and reliability and thus to regain its role in the changing media landscape, the microblogging service has introduced the 2FA-enabled security system.

The company hopes the move will reduce the chance of hacking profiles. In April, hackers gained access to the Twitter accounts of BBC, Financial Times, CBS, NPR and E! Online employees. Most notably, hackers broke into the Associated Press twitter account tweeting falsely that Presidnet Obama had been injured and that there had been two explosions at the White House which led to a lot of perplexity.