Keeping your account safe

We are often asked the question, “How do I keep my Twitter account safe and private?” Good question, and we’re happy you asked.

First, you should know that attempts to directly “hack” Twitter are extremely rare. The majority of account compromises actually happen as a direct result of “phishing” schemes. Phishing is a way to target users by sending them fraudulent messages meant to trick them into sharing their passwords. This can come in the form of fake emails, attachments or log-in screens that are designed to look similar to your Twitter sign-in page.

You should know that Twitter never sends emails that request your password or asks you to download attachments. Similarly, you will never have to enter your Twitter password into anything other than a Twitter log-in screen on the web and applications that you trust. You can always make sure that you’re on the real Twitter site by checking the address bar in your browser—make sure the domain is Twitter.com. There is lot more about protecting yourself from phishing attempts on our support pages.

Here are some additional important recommendations from our Safety Center:

• Use a strong password with at least 10 characters and a combination of letters, numbers and other characters for your Twitter account. And use a unique password for each website you use (email, banking, etc.); that way, if one account gets compromised, the rest are safe. A personal email account that’s compromised is the second most likely way an intruder gains access to Twitter accounts.
• Use HTTPS for improved security on Twitter. This is the same encryption technology that allows you to safely make payments online. Learn how to do this here.
• We recommend linking your phone to your Twitter account. Doing this could save your account if you lose control of your personal email and/or password. Here’s how to do it.
• If you think your account has been compromised, visit our help page for compromised accounts to find out how to fix it quickly.

We’re committed to keeping Twitter a safe and open community and educating you, our users, about the best ways to keep your accounts secure. We post regular updates about safety and security via @safety and regularly update our account security help page. For individuals and organizations using Twitter in an official capacity, Twitter for Newsrooms has been updated with an excellent safety and security checklist, located here.