Secure your Twitter account with these steps after recent bug

Owing to a recent bug in its software, the micro blogging platform Twitter has urged its global users to change their passwords and also listed steps that could help in securing user account.

In a blog post published on Thursday, the social networking service announced that a bug discovered in an internal system had stored user passwords in plain text, urging its 336 million users to change their passwords as a precaution.

Although Twitter has confirmed to ‘have fixed the bug’ and no ‘password information ever left Twitter’s systems or was misused by anyone’, simple steps to secure user account would only make it safer.

Twitter urges users to change passwords after a bug exposed them all

To start off with the first step, if logging in from the desktop, the user needs to click on the profile image in the upper right corner of the screen and choose ‘Settings and Privacy’ from the list.

From the list running down on the left, click ‘Password’ and the new page will ask the user to re-type current password and then the new one. “Use a strong password that you don’t reuse on other websites,” read the blog post.

The Twitter application on smartphones requires users to click on the display picture on the upper left corner and then select ‘Settings and Privacy’. Click ‘Account’ followed by ‘Password’.

According to The Verge, a password alone is not enough to secure an account in the age of modern technology. Therefore, aside from changing Twitter password, the user can also enable the login verification feature. The security feature is an added layer to secure Twitter account, which when enabled will also require the user to enter a code that will be sent to their number upon logging in.

The feature is in ‘Settings and Privacy’ under ‘Account’. After user password is verified, a code will be sent to their phone number and once the code is submitted, the feature will then be enabled.

Twitter has apologized for the incident. “We recognize and appreciate the trust you place in us, and are committed to earning that trust every day.”