Security

News Byte

Facebook to Offer Extra Security — Via Your Friends

Mike Isaac in Social on May 2 at 9:00 am PT

Facebook announced Thursday that it will roll out “Trusted Contacts,” an extra authorization layer of security that allows users to select a few friends who can help verify a user’s identity. Give from three to five of your friends personalized security PIN numbers to hold for you. If you have problems logging in, getting three of those PIN numbers from friends will let you access your account. Nifty! Also, interesting timing for a release, considering all of Twitter’s recent security snafus.

News Byte

In Wake of Hack, Evernote to Add Heightened Security Features

Mike Isaac in News on March 5 at 12:00 pm PT

Just days after a widely publicized security breach, Evernote said it planned to add additional security features to its product, according to a statement made to Information Week on Tuesday. The plan is to roll out “two-factor authentication” later in the year, which typically involves sending a code to a user’s separate device (often a cellphone) that is then used during login. Google and Facebook both use the security feature.

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In Wake of Corporate Hacks, Twitter Steps Up Email Security

Mike Isaac in Social on February 21 at 9:47 am PT

Twitter has implemented a new security technology in the official emails sent to its users, the company announced on Thursday, making it less likely for users to receive fake spam emails from a Twitter.com email address. It’s a fight to combat password phishing, especially in an escalating series of hacking incidents over the past few months.

News Byte

Twitter Debunks Rumors of Security Vulnerability

Mike Isaac in Social on December 5, 2012 at 5:00 am PT

Twitter engineering manager and security chief Moxie Marlinspike denied reports that U.S. Twitter account holders are susceptible to an SMS-reliant hack where outsiders could post tweets to user accounts. After stories of the hack surfaced early in the week, Marlinspike pointed out that the vulnerability is only relevant to non-U.S. Twitter users, and was addressed in 2007.