Twitter added two new security features to keep users' accounts safer by using registered mobile numbers to reset account password and by identifying and blocking suspicious logins.
Twitter, the popular micro-blogging social network, is enhancing the security features. The introduction of two new features will bring an added layer of security to users and ease of gaining access to the account in case of lost passwords. Twitter users can verify and register a mobile number with the social network and choose to use text when receiving a reset code for a password change.
Twitter will use the registered mobile number to send a six-digit code in a text message instead of using the registered email address. The benefit of having the reset code sent to the mobile phones can help users to gain quick access to the account, even in situations where the email address stored on Twitter is compromised. The short code sent over SMS is valid for only 15 minutes, which means using the same code later cannot grant access to the account.
"Whether you've recently changed your phone number, or are traveling with limited access to your devices, or had an old email address connected to your Twitter account, you've got options," Twitter Product Manager Mollie Vandor wrote in a blog post, Thursday.
Twitter also added another security layer to its web service. The social network said that it also detects suspicious logins by taking various factors into account such as the number of login attempts, location of the device and login history. Based on the gathered information, Twitter will ask a simple account-related question before granting access to the account. The company will also send an email to the account's email address if a suspicious login is detected on the site.
"Your Twitter account is important to you, and your account security is important to us. We will continue to work on bolstering Twitter account security so you can keep enjoying Twitter safely," Vandor added.
Twitter has been targeted more than once by several hackers. The widely reported hacks by the Syrian Electronic Army highlighted the scrawny security features Twitter offers. After series of attacks on major news publications, such as BBC, CBS news programs "60 Minutes" and "48 Hours" and Al-Jazeera English, Twitter added two-factor authentication in April last year. The latest addition of security feature is another step toward protecting users' accounts.
