Microblogging platform Twitter has launched a new feature to guard the accounts. It has announced the rollout of a hardware security key support. This is available for both Android and iPhone smartphones. The support is aimed at helping the users to keep their accounts more secure. According to Twitter, anyone with the security key set up can use to log in from their device. The set up is available on the users’ account. The motive behind the feature is to allow users to add a physical security barrier which accessing their accounts. It will do away with the two-factor authentication options. The company had in 2018 announced support for hardware security keys.
Twitter said that the hardware security keys will make it difficult for hackers to break into accounts. Even if a hacker has cracked usernames and passwords, it won’t be easy to gain access. Twitter said that it first allowed the feature to its own employees. It is now extended to users worldwide. The decision to introduce hardware security key support was taken after a massive cybersecurity attack. According to the data shared by the company, a total of 130 accounts were targeted by hackers. The accounts of renowned personalities like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and others were also hacked in the past.
To set up the features, users will require visiting the Security option in Settings and Privacy. The company has added the security key under the two-factor authentication. Twitter said that users who wish to disable the feature are allowed to do so. Twitter recommended the users to use the feature to safeguard their accounts. Notably, the hardware security keys for desktops were made available in 2018. The option is now available to mobile users. In another related development, Twitter has announced to turn off its threaded replies experiment. It was meant to make replies easier. But the company decided to discontinue it after receiving negative feedback from users.
Carolyn is a technology graduate and loves to write about anything related to technology as well as writes in others sectors. Carolyn is a professional writer with over 7 years of experience. Initially starting off as a programmer, Carolyn decided to combine her knowledge about technology and writing and that’s how she joined Reporter Expert.