Five ways to protect your Twitter account from being hacked including using two-factor authentication

Five ways to protect your social media account, after Piers Morgan’s Twitter account was hacked.
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Getting hacked on social media is nothing new; even politicians and celebrities have fallen victim to hackers taking control of and gaining access to accounts on Twitter and other sites. The latest case involves Piers Morgan, whose Twitter account remains suspended after an apparent attack on Tuesday (December 26).

The former Good Morning (GMB) presenter, who has 8.3 million followers on Twitter, has his account wiped of much of its content after reports it was hacked surfaced. Now, his account has no profile picture, banner image or posts but his tweets containing images and videos remain, as well as his records of tweets his account had liked.

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This comes after Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, also appeared to have her Twitter account hacked on Christmas Day. Her account reportedly replied to multiple messages with links to websites that advertised cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

In the wake of numerous cases of cyber attacks by unknown individuals, users are advised to reset their passwords or report accounts they believe have been compromised. Twitter says users can also get in touch with the Twitter support team for more immediate help if necessary.

Experts have highlighted measures to increase  your account safety. Below are five ways to protect your Twitter account from hackers.

Five ways to protect your Twitter account from being hacked

Use strong password

Don’t use the same password from other websites and create one that is unique to Twitter. You also need to make sure it is at least 10 characters long with a mix of uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and symbols. To help you store all your passwords securely, it is advisable you get password management software.

Use password reset protection

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This feature will let Twitter send you a confirmation code to your mobile or your email link to reset your password if you forget it.

Enable and use two-factor authentication

Two–factor authentication provides another layer of security to your Twitter account. With this, only those with access to both your Twitter and phone will be able to use your account.

 Five ways to protect your Twitter account from being hacked including using  two-factor authentication. Five ways to protect your Twitter account from being hacked including using  two-factor authentication.
Five ways to protect your Twitter account from being hacked including using two-factor authentication.

Ensure you’re only using Twitter.com

Always check the address bar when logging into Twitter if you use a web browser. Twitter’s domain is https://twitter.com. Beware of other websites asking for your Twitter credentials.

Phishing scams use fake websites to fool you into entering your login information. They often look like the real thing, but they are not.

Watch out for suspicious login update alerts

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Twitter will notify you via the app or by email of new devices or IP addresses accessing your account. If you do not recognise the details in the alert, you can follow the steps from it to secure your account.