After the recent Twitter attacks against members of the media, Twitter has decided to bump up their security. According to the LA Times on May 23, there is now a two-step verification option that should keep hackers on the outside. And this process isn't just for high-profile or verified accounts only. This is available and recommended for every single member of the Twittersphere.
The process will be easy if you actually own the account. A user just enters a password and then a special code that has been sent to the user's cellphone. The special code will change each time the user tries to log in. However, the feature doesn’t just come standard now; users must enable it for it to take effect.
But what if you’re part of a large organization where more than one person is posting to the Twitter account? What are the odds that one single person at AP is posting all of their Twitter updates? Pretty darn slim. So how are all the different social media contributors across the country and world going to have access to the same phone for verification? They probably won’t, which means this update doesn’t really benefit them in any way. The security experts at nakedsecurity think that the best they can do is wait:
"In time, Twitter will surely mature and offer appropriate security, and mechanisms which recognise how many corporate brands and news organisations are using Twitter today."
So while two-part authentication was a much-needed security update for the site and will certainly be helpful for smaller organizations and single-user accounts, it seems doubtful that this update was geared toward the members of the media, as it doesn’t necessarily help them at all.
And Twitter still has yet to see how many users will actually implement the new system. If a user with a simple password decides checking their phone every time they want to log in is too much hassle, this new system means nothing. Or if a user is super easy to phish, even with the two-step verification in place, they could be hacked.
Hopefully general users will get wise about their password security and actually use the tool they've been given and Twitter will get cracking on better methods for members of the media.
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/article/twitter-launches-two-step-verification-but-who-does-it-benefit?cid=roadrunner