Instagram about to become safer with two-factor authentication

The more data we are linking relentlessly with our social media accounts, the faster we are attracting hackers to barge in our profiles and fetch our details for misuse. To shield the platforms from such wicked acts, all the tech giants are working towards making their engine more secure and Instagram is one of them.

As conveyed by TechCrunch, Instagram is working on two-factor authentication functionality which won't optimise SMS for verification. The feature will operate in unison with security apps which may include Duo, Authy or Google Authenticator. Since these apps assist in generating codes, there won't be a need for SMS-based authentication which will protect our accounts from SIM hackers.

 

A user's Instagram account can be hacked if someone gets access to the user's mobile number which can be used to assign it on a different SIM. Once done, hackers can further use the account to change the password or acquire details which are possible to get from Instagram. The social media didn't have a solid authentication feature till 2016. But, it later started providing it when a few well-known accounts were hacked.

A tipster named Jane Manchun Wong published a tweet, brought to notice by TechCrunch, which showed the image of Instagram setting consisting of the options of two-factor authentication including text message and through an authentication app.

Since Instagram can be used to either fetch private photos or get access to the cryptocurrency wallet, it appears mandatory for the social media company to implement a secure and reliable verification functionality. Moreover, all the online social platforms should make a better authentication system the first priority.