Lately their have been many issues with Security on Twitter. These have generally come into two forms:
1. Phishing schemes.
2. Password hacking.
Spending some time on these two issues will help save some people major issues in the long run. A lot of it is pure common sense and can be applied from other knowledge which we currently have.
1. Phishing Schemes.
Phishing schemes are making a comeback. They were originally common in email where people clicked on links and were directed to web sites which they did not intend to visit. Twitter makes Phishing that much more easier to apply and take advantage of the end user. You might ask why is this.
Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters. Many of Twitter’s end users have many meaningful conversations in 140 characters. The problem usually occurs when people tweet links to web pages. In order to make the 140 character limits Twitter users use web shortening services such as Tiny URl for example. The problem with web shortening services is you do not know what the actual url is before you click on the link. This is exactly what Phishing Schemes pray on. Before you know it you can be re routed to a url which you never intended to go to.
The question is how to you avoid this kind of problems. The first is to watch Twitter and the people you follow. When phishing schemes start, people generally tweet about them to help keep other people from getting into trouble with them. They warn the people who follow them. The 2nd and one of the best ways is to only click on shortened urls from people you do know and have built a solid relationship with. This will help avoid someone from preying on you and limit the chances of falling victim to one of these schemes.
2. Password Hacking.
Password hacking has been around as long as their were passwords. People have long been trying to steal other’s password and data for years. The best way to protect yourself is to use a strong password and to change it on a regular basis.
The following are some good guidelines for strong passwords:
A. The password you chose should be at least 8 characters.
B. The password should be combination of numbers, letters, upper/lower case and symbols.
C. Do not use your name.
D. Do not use words that people can easily identify with you.
E. Do not use the word password – this is an old one but people still use it.
If you are careful about phishing schemes and use a strong password, your chances of having security issues on Twitter will be greatly minimized.
