Ten ways Twitter improved online security

Ten ways Twitter improved online security

A decade ago the world was Twitter-less no Tweeted birthday greetings, Oscar selfies, real-time
presidential announcements or calls for prayers. But neither did we have vile trolls and defacement Tweets
on hacked accounts of public figures.

Twitter changed the way 332 million active users communicate online. But it also fueled serious privacy debates, as
every Tweet further dilutes the concept of online privacy. In an attempt to balance content over-sharing and cybersecurity, Twitter has implemented several measures that play a key role in enhancing account security, encouraging
socializing best practices and protecting its users from cyber-harassment.

1. In 2011, in a bid to protect user accounts from hijacking, Twitter made encryption available by enabling the
always use HTTPS feature from the settings section of the site.

This will improve the security of your account and better protect your information if youre using Twitter over an
unsecured internet connection, like a public Wi-Fi network, where someone may be able to eavesdrop on your site
activity, Twitter said in a blog post

2. Twitter rolled out two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security on top of account passwords.

3. In 2014, it launched an improved password reset mechanism to make logins easier. The process lets users
associate an email address or phone number with their account to receive reset information.

Ten ways Twitter improved online security

Twitter worked to better identify suspicious logins by looking at things like location, device used and login

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detect anomalies in system metrics after a new software release.

8. Reporting abusive tweets has also become easier with under-the-hood improvements to the tools used to
review reported Tweets and accounts.

Everything that happens in the world, happens on Twitter to the tune of more than 500 million Tweets every day.
That can sometimes include content that violates our rules around harassment and abuse and we want to make it

easier to report such content, said Shreyas Doshi, Director of Product Management and User Safety.

9. Recently, Twitter announced the possibility of banning fake profiles to help prevent online abuse against women
and girls.

Social media is increasingly being used as a tool against women and I think it is really positive that Twitter is going
to be training our lawyers in the months ahead, Chief Crown Prosecutor Jenny Hopkins told the Guardian.

10. Twitter warned users of state sponsored hacking the company sent out notices to users whose
usernames, IP addresses, and email addresses and phone numbers are suspected of compromise from an attacker
believed to be working on behalf of a nation-state.

These security features are great, but ultimately, security is a shared responsibility users need to do their part to
keep their account as safe as possible. Heres a quick guide on how to strengthen your Twitter security. Stay safe!

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