2020 was certainly not a great year for Twitter’s security team, case in point: the infamous high-profile Twitter Bitcoin scam. To recover from this major setback, the company has been hiring top-notch security professionals including Rinki Sethi and Peiter Zatko. As part of Twitter’s efforts to enhance the platform’s security, the company has now added support for hardware two-factor security keys across Android and iOS.
For the uninitiated, using hardware 2FA keys is an excellent way to protect your accounts on the internet. The major advantage of using hardware 2FA over traditional SMS 2FA is that you will no longer be vulnerable to SIM swap attacks, something even Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey couldn’t escape from. Other two-factor authentication methods on Twitter are text message (not recommended) and authenticator apps.
It is worth noting that Twitter has been supporting hardware two-factor security keys on the web, thanks to WebAuthn protocol. The latest update extends the scope of the feature to mobile versions of Twitter, which is undoubtedly a welcome addition. If you don’t have a hardware security key yet, you’re in luck. One of the leaders in hardware 2FA keys, Yubico, is offering a $10 discount on their hardware 2FA solution Yubikey. You can use the code ‘TWITTER10’ during checkout to avail the discount.
To set up hardware 2FA, you’ll have to open Twitter and visit Settings and Privacy -> Account -> Security-> Two-factor authentication -> Security key. In case you change your mind, you can disable 2FA (although you shouldn’t) later from the same page. While you’re at it, our guide on enabling two-factor authentication across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter should come in handy to safeguard your other social media accounts.
