Twitter to roll out new password security control?
Word has it that the social network is planning to debut two-factor authentication to cut down on user account hacking.
After the Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked into on Tuesday and the accounts of CBS News programs "60 Minutes" and "48 Hours" were hacked over the weekend, it's been made clear that Twitter needs to boost security. But, it may be doing just that.
According to Wired's Mat Honan, the social-networking site has reportedly been working on creating a two-factor authentication for user password verification. Honan writes that the company is currently carrying out internal testing before rolling out the new security control.
This isn't a huge surprise considering Twitter posted a job advertisement for a software engineer to work on two-factor authentication in February. The responsibilities listed for the new engineer were to "design and develop user-facing security features, such as multifactor authentication and fraudulent log-in detection." The job listing also says that the engineer's work will "directly impact the security of hundreds of millions of Twitter users."
While two-factor authentication won't necessarily stop hackers in their tracks, it could make it more difficult for them to access user accounts. Multi-factor authentication requires users to type in their password and then the Web site creates a random code that is then sent to the users' cell phone or some other device -- only after users type this code back into the Web site, can they log into their account.
Twitter has worked on upping its security over the last few years, but hackers have still continued to escalate their attacks. The hackers that got into the Associated Press' account Tuesday sent out a false "breaking" news tweet that claimed the White House had been bombed and President Obama had been injured. This news caused a sudden plunge in the stock market.
The hacks of CBS News programs' Twitter accounts over the weekend resulted in bogus messages going out, such as "The US government is hiding the real culprit of the Boston bombing." And, in March, the BBC's Twitter account was also hacked and fake tweets were sent out saying "long live" Syrian President Bashar Assad.
While Twitter has been dealing with these recent hacking sprees, several other tech companies have already introduced multi-factor authentication. Microsoft, Google, Apple, Dropbox, and more have all heightened their password security with two-factor authentication over the past couple of years.
According to Honan, Twitter hopes to debut the new security control "shortly."
When CNET asked Twitter about the possible two-factor authentication, a company spokesperson said, "We don't have anything to announce at this time."