Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Twitter recently stated that accounts protected by a hardware security key can now log in from their iPhone or Android device. Twitter rolled out support for hardware security keys in 2018 which allowed users to add a physical security barrier to their accounts in place of other two-factor authentication options, like a text message or a code generated from the app.

Security keys are small enough to fit in a keyring but make different account hacks near impossible by requiring a user to plug in the key when they log in. This means that hackers on the other side of the planet can’t easily break into user’s account, even if they have the username and password.

However, technical limitations means that accounts protected with security keys can only log in from a computer instead of a mobile device.

Twitter Now Supports Hardware Security Keys on Android and iOS | Beebom
Image Source : Beebom

Twitter solved the headache in part by switching to WebAuthn protocol in 2019 that paved the way for bringing hardware security key support to more devices and browsers. Now users with security key set up on their Twitter account can use the same key to log in from their mobile device as long as it is supported.

Twitter and various companies have recommended that high-profile accounts like journalists, politicians and government officials use security keys for preventing some of the more sophisticated attacks. Twitter further explains how to set up two-factor authentication.

This year, Twitter rolled out hardware security keys to its own staff for preventing a repeat of the cyberattack in the month of July which saw hackers break into a company’s internal network and abuse an ‘admin’ tool, which can be used by hackers to hijack high-profile accounts for spreading cryptocurrency scam.

After the attack, Twitter hired Rinki Sethi as the new chief information security officer and famed hacker Peiter Zatko, also known as Mudge as the company’s head of security.