Secure your Twitter account with Multi Factor Authentication and the Microsoft Authenticator App

Yesterday, Twitter notified it's followers and the press that a bug had potentially allowed some 330 million user accounts to have their passwords stored without encryption. They have advised users to change their passwords even though they believe no compromises of this data has occured. You can read the whole story via Twitter here and the BBC News story here

I have indeed changed my Twitter password this morning - and I also went one step further, by securing my Twitter account with Multi Factor Authentication.

Now there's primarily two ways you could do this.

You could have the app integrated with Office 365 by assigning it to users through the Azure Marketplace, but assigning multi factor authentication to gallery applications this way requires Azure AD Premum P1 or better licensing whether it is deployed by Administrators or available for users via self service. Plus it would also utilise your Azure AD identity for authentication and verification to Twitter.

The other way is to natively integrate it directly through Twitter. Microsoft has made great gains in ensuring the Authenticator app in the relevant app stores can provide both corporate, personal and third party app support through a single application pane.

So, now that you've woken up and changed your Twitter password this morning, here's how you protect your account with Multi Factor Authentication and the Microsoft Authenticator app.


Login to Twitter and go to 'Settings and privacy'

Select 'Set up login verification'

You will go through a process to get a verification code to your registered mobile device

Once you have entered the verification code and completed this process you'll be able to review your login verification methods for Twitter

From here you'll be able to select a 'Mobile security app' to protect your Twitter account

Select it and start the process

Twitter will provide a QR code which you can use with the Microsoft Authenticator app to add your Twitter account

Open the Microsoft Authenticator account on your mobile device and select 'Add account'

Select 'Other account (Google, Facebook, etc.)

Once you have scanned the QR code in, Twitter will be added to your Microsoft Authenticator app

Back at Twitter, you can now add the code for Twitter from the Microsoft Authenticator app to complete the process

And that's it. You're all set up!

You can now use the Microsoft Authenticator app for your Azure Active Directory MFA requests, and your personal accounts and personal apps like Twitter.

Have fun!

@OliverMoazzez

#CloudPro @asktechnetuk Twitter Event 15/04/2011

Hi,

I will be one of many on a panel for Technet tomorrow (@asktechnetuk) where you can ask questions in a live Twitter Q&A!

Topics will covered will be based on what YOU want to hear advice on, such as Exchange, SQL, Powershell, Cloud Hosting, Virtualization and System Centre.

I will be one of a number of MVPs including

- Vikas Sahni – SQL Azure MVP: @sahnivi
- Myles Jeffrey – Office365 MVP: @mjthinkscape
- Mark Rendle – Windows Azure MVP: @markrendle
- Damian Flynn – Virtual Machine MVP: @damian_flynn
- Oliver Moazzezi – Exchange Server MVP: @OliverMoazzezi
- Patrick Lowdns – Virtual Machine MVP: @PatrickLownds
- Thomas Lee – Powershell, MVP

Microsoft experts will also be on hand to answer questions.

See you there!

Oliver Moazzezi MVP - Exchange Server

Follow me on Twitter

Well,

I upped a geek level and now post on Twitter. You won't find me talking about randoms - you will find me posting out links to cool new technology, tools or gadgets.

http://twitter.com/OliverMoazzezi

Enjoy,

Oliver Moazzezi

MVP - Exchange Server

Mobile Twitter – Twikini out now (off topic)

I’m hooked on Windows Mobile and Twitter, the mobile browser interface wasn’t working well for me so I started looking at the mobile apps available. The best app for me has been Twikini. It’s clean, simple and best of all it makes a bird tweet noise when new updates are received.

Try it free, http://www.trinketsoftware.com/Twikini.

It integrates with Twitpic and services like TinyURL. You can add location information using GPS, or by entering a place name. I added my location to tweets the other week and so far I haven’t noticed any new stalkers.

I’m undecided whether to use “Tweet song info” about songs playing in Windows Media, it could generate a lot of updates and be a bit embarrassing when I’m listening Kylie.

If you update multiple Twitter accounts there is a “Switch account” option, which is proving pretty handy especially if you have personal and company accounts to update.

Try it for free from http://www.trinketsoftware.com/Twikini and follow me from your Windows Mobile.

Daniel
http://twitter.com/dannoakes

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile,Twikini,Twitter,Trinket Software