Twitter adds two-step authentication to boost security after hacks

Twitter has become the latest site to add two-step verification to its security system following a number of hackings and attempted hacks.

The optional verification procedure, already available for services such as Google's Gmail and Facebook, follows the usual format of registering a phone number to be used in conjunction with your existing login details.

With the system turned on (select "require a verification code when I sign in" from the account settings) Twitter will send a six-digit code to your phone as an SMS whenever you sign in to twitter.com.

For access from apps and other devices you need to generate a temporary password, done by visiting the applications page, in order the authorise the login.

As the process hinges on Twitter being able to send SMS to your phone, using the security system will depend on whether your phone service provider supports the functionality. We tested ours using GiffGaff -- a phone service provider which utilises the O2 network -- and it worked correctly.

Despite the added protection two-step can provide, Twitter is keen to point out you'll still need to follow good security practice:

"Of course, even with this new security option turned on, it's still important for you to use a strong password and follow the rest of our advice for keeping your account secure."

Said advice can be found on the "Keeping your account secure" page.

-Wired