How-To

How To Secure Your Twitter Account

Due to the recent bug in Twitter, passwords of users were exposed in plain text. Twitter Password leak was a glitch in the password hashing process that failed in masking the passwords and hence the passwords were visible to everyone who tried to log in to their Twitter accounts.

To overcome this situation, Twitter had advised its 330 million users to change their passwords. Twitter also confirmed that that the bug has now been fixed and the investigations revealed that no breach or misuse of information was seen.

Although after the glitch, user’s information was safe and there was no information theft, do you think your data is safe? Don’t you think you should play safe?

Keeping a check on account privacy should be the utmost priority for people on social media. While some people think simply resetting the passwords will do the work. This practically stands false.

People should follow security measures that even if their login details are compromised, no one can access their accounts in an illegitimate manner. After this Twitter story, it is a good time to secure your Twitter account and take measures to prevent any data breach.

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Secure Your Twitter Account

To combat any glitches or attacks, it is always good to secure your online accounts. Owing to the kind of breaches that are happening, the main aim of the article is to educate users about the measures they should take to secure their Twitter accounts. Scroll down to read the complete article and find out how you can provide added security to your online accounts:

  1. Change your Twitter Password:

Changing the password for an online account should be the first step to ensure that no one can peep into it without your permission. It is always advised to change passwords more often to provide security.

To change your Twitter password, please follow the steps below:

  1. Go to here
  2. The password page has three fields that require you to enter your current password, the new password and then verify the new password.

 

  1. Once you have filled all the fields, click on Save changes.
  2. It is always advised to keep a strong password which is a combination of alphabets, numbers and special characters. Having a strong password saves you from hackers and prevents any kind of unauthorized access.

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication:

Two-factor authentication is a way to add an extra security layer to your account. When two-factor authentication is enabled on your Twitter account, each time you log in, you will be asked for one more thing other than the usual password. In this case, two-factor authentication is a 6-digit code sent to your mobile via a SMS.

To enable two-factor authentication, please follow the steps below:

  1. Visit here, on this page enter your mobile number and choose the correct region.
  2. Once you have entered the number, click on Continue.
  3. Post this, you will receive a 6-digit OTP on your mobile, enter the same and click on Activate Phone.
  4. Now that you have verified your phone number, click on Account from the left panel.
  5. Look for Set up login verification from the right panel under Security and click on it.

 

  1. Click on Start and enter your Twitter account password. Now click on Send Code.
  2. Enter the 6-digit code in the text field and then click on Submit.

This is it! Every time you log in to your Twitter account, you will have to enter the 6-digit code sent to your mobile device.

Once the two-factor authentication is set and enabled, select Get backup code. This will generate a backup code that can be used to log in to your account if you don’t have your mobile phone handy. However, do remember the backup code is a one-time use password.

  1. Add More Security to Password Reset:

Considering a scenario where someone manages to steal your Twitter password. The first thing that he will do is reset your password to avoid any further access from your side.

This can, however, be prevented by simple tweaks. Follow the steps below to see what they are:

  1. Visit Twitter.
  2. On the Account settings page, search ‘Require personal information to reset your password’ under Security and check mark it.
  3. Once this setting is enabled, every time a reset password is attempted, it will ask to verify the phone number or email address.

Although anyone can easily see your personal information, by navigating to Mobile or Account, it still gives you time to think and act accordingly.

See Also: How To Download Videos From Twitter And Instagram On Android

  1. Take Help of Password Managers:

People tend to use same passwords for multiple accounts. Though it becomes easy for them to remember the password, it, however, is the least secure method. If the password for any one account is compromised, the hacker can easily get access to all your accounts.

Though creating a strong password manually is a wise decision and keeps you safe from data attackers, it does not help in cases of technical glitches resulting in password exposed in plain text.

For such times, the importance of Password Managers is realized. Password Managers or Generators are programs that generate a strong password for your online accounts and save them.

These Password Manager programs, easily save the passwords in encrypted form and hence they are secure and at the same time easily eliminates the need for remembering passwords.

Data breaches and technical glitches result in compromising your online accounts. The Twitter Password leak is the most recent example of it. If you don’t want to be a victim of these glitches and want to keep your login details secure, adding extra layers of security is a must. Follow all the points mentioned in the article to secure your Twitter account.

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