In the News
Twitter seems to continue to step up their emphasis on privacy and information security. In Twitter will finally let you turn on two-factor authentication without giving it a phone number, Greg Kumparak at TechCrunch discusses Twitter’s rollout of two-factor authentication (2FA) without needing to provide a personal phone number. Kumparak details that phone numbers have been required for 2FA as a verification source. However, this is no longer the most secure method of 2FA and Twitter is just now rolling out a way for its customers to use 2FA without needing their phone number.
Our Take
Simply having a password as a security barrier for your various online accounts is no longer the most effective way to secure your personal account information. Two-factor authentication has emerged as a better was to do so and more and more platforms are hosting the ability to use 2FA on your account. However, it has long been the practice to use phone numbers for this 2FA even though using this method has the potential for your account to still be breached. Luckily, there are other alternative even though all platforms have not yet adopted them. Twitter has recently been taking steps to differentiate themselves from other social media giants in regards to their data transparency and political news. This may be another way that Twitter is hoping to stand out to their consumers as a social media platform that is evolving to best suit their users and the changing tech landscape. It is always best to minimize the amount of information that you provide to any company or online account. If this new 2FA system allows for that and an increase in account security, it seems like a win-win.
Recommendations
How can you protect your data privacy?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Utilize additional security/privacy measures and settings on apps, accounts, and platforms whenever possible
- Research and read a company’s data privacy practices before utilizing their services
- Know your rights when it comes to data storage both on a company and legal level