Protect Your Twitter Account Better Than Trump in Less Than 5 Minutes
Rumor has it that President Trump’s Twitter account has been hacked again by a Dutch security researcher who accidentally guessed the correct password: “maga2020!” I think this story is completely fictional , but it’s still a great reminder not to be lazy with social media protection. Blocking your Twitter account is easy and takes less than five minutes.
Change your password
There is no reason why you should use a simple password that can be easily guessed. Come here . Change your password to a more complex one . If you don’t understand what this means, get help . Save this password in your browser, or better yet, in a great password manager . Do not use this password anywhere else.
Block someone else from resetting your password
If someone accidentally logs into your account and tries to reset your password – to then block you – you can require Twitter to confirm the request with your phone number or email address. Install it here .
Set up two-factor authentication
At a minimum, Twitter should send you a code in a text message whenever you (or anyone else) tries to log into your account for the first time. You will then enter this code to verify that the request was legal. However, in an ideal world, you would link Twitter to an authentication app that provides this code, because even text messages are not the safest way to verify that the login attempt is actually you.
(Make sure you write down your backup code and keep it in a safe place.)
Check which apps have accessed your account
Has some application been accessing your Twitter account without your permission? Check it out here . And if you don’t remember granting a particular app access to your account,go here to disable malicious apps from your account.
Check where else you are logged into Twitter
Easily see what other devices are currently logged into your Twitter account. Go here to check, and if you don’t recognize the smartphone, tablet, or PC on this list, click “End All Other Sessions” and then change your password (and set up two-factor authentication!)
Delete your account
If you need to hack your Twitter account, do it here . You will have 30 days to change your mind until your account disappears forever if you don’t have a verified account. Then you can choose a window of 30 days or one year.