4 tips to keep your Twitter account safe
We hear all the time when someone gets their Twitter account compromised. Usually it’s when a Twitter account begins tweeting out spam or controversial content, or even links to malicious websites.
It’s happened to countless celebrities or the official verified Twitter accounts belonging to big brands. But it can happen to any Twitter user.
Here are four important steps you can take to make sure your Twitter account remains out of the hands of spammers and cyber crooks.
Password
Starting with the most obvious tip, picking a good password is paramount. Passwords should have a combination of numbers, letters and at least one symbol. Avoid words in the dictionary and the most commonly used passwords, and very importantly, do not use the same passwords for different online accounts! If you do, then a data leak from one website could compromise your other accounts across the Internet!
Don’t click on links in emails from Twitter
Just because an email appears to be from Twitter, it doesn’t mean that it is. And you should be extremely sceptical of emails that ask you to click a link and login to Twitter, because you may end up landing on a spoof website designed to look like Twitter but is actually trying to steal your login information.
If you have a lot of followers on Twitter, or even have their coveted blue “verified” badge, you may be the target for spear-phishing scams, which are emails scams that are tailored to trick you. They may have your name, and other data related specifically to you. But they still want you to click a link and enter your login details onto a spoof website.
But even if you don’t have that many followers or a blue badge, phishing scams are always a threat, so simply not clicking on links on Twitter emails is important. Remember, you can always head to Twitter directly and login with your browser.
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Use 2FA
Like most big sites, Twitter supports 2FA – or two factor authentication – via SMS codes, third party apps or security codes. We recommend enabling at least one. This means an extra piece of information is needed to login other than the account password. So if crooks do manage to get your password, they still can’t access your account.
Twitter calls 2FA login verification. Just head to your main settings, click Account, then under Login and Security you’re see a security option, then select Login Verification to begin setting it up.
Keep your device malware-free
Remember to always run security software scans on your device is you use a PC or laptop with Twitter, to prevent malware like key loggers from stealing your information, such as your Twitter login information. See our recommended security software here.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest cybersecurity threats and our tips to stay safe online. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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