Hours after news broke of The AP Twitter hack, the micro-blogging platform announced it was working on two-step authentication.
Wired reports the system is still in testing, though it should begin rolling to users out fairly soon.
Two-step (or two-factor, or multi-authentication) verification is just about the most secure form of password there is. Rather than inputting one set of credentials, a user must enter a password along with a randomly generated code sent to another device, typically via a text message or email account. "Accessing an account requires having two things: something you know (the password) and something you have (a previously registered device)," says Wired.
Given the recent spate of high-profile hacks we've seen—namely, The AP, Burger King and 60 Minutes—Wired expects Twitter to "get something out now, even if imperfect and iterate later," ideally in the next few weeks.
There may be kinks to iron out as these accounts tend to have many users who use a variety of applications, but passwords have proven effective against threats such as password reuse and malware, says Wired, so the "stop-gap" should be well worth it.
[via Wired]
