Around 2 weeks back, we spoke about Twitter removing its famous security feature called two-factor authentication.
Only those that had Blue Subscriptions would be able to grab a hold of the offering whose last date is March 20 of this year.
The feature is an added level of security used to verify accounts through a text message. But if you don’t have it anymore, then you shouldn’t worry as there are other ways through which your account can be made secure.
This includes options like hardware keys and also authentication applications. The great news about the latter has to do with how simple it is in terms of convenience as well as how it’s for free.
But wait a minute, there’s also a big downside that not a lot of people speak about. And that is linked to the huge amounts of fake authenticator apps on Play Stores and App Stores. They have been designed solely for one purpose. And that has to do with draining victims’ wallets and robbing them of all sensitive information.
H/T: Mysk
One recent email was highlighted by a top developer who claims his team went through a few authenticator apps after the platform spoke of discontinuing the 2FA feature via SMS.
The findings were alarming as several fraudulent apps used for authentication were revealed and the shocking part is how dissimilar they appear. But that’s not all as so many of them are forcing people to shed cash but give them nothing in return.
We’re talking yearly subscriptions that range between $20 to $40 per year to attain the service. Similarly, they noticed one that releases scanned QR codes for the developer’s analytics account seen on Google.
Experts predict that such apps are going to loom on the app stores for a while now, and they’ll be more frequently encountered now than ever because Twitter disabled its 2FA and is asking money for it. And many aren’t ready to pay that much right now.
So what’s the solution? It’s simple, just download the feature from reliable sources including Google Authenticator, and Microsoft Authenticator to save yourself from the huge hassle attached.
Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry so be alerted, experts go on to mention that there’s nothing worse than having your personal data compromised.
Read next: Here Are The Most Popular Authenticator App Options From A Security Standpoint
Only those that had Blue Subscriptions would be able to grab a hold of the offering whose last date is March 20 of this year.
The feature is an added level of security used to verify accounts through a text message. But if you don’t have it anymore, then you shouldn’t worry as there are other ways through which your account can be made secure.
This includes options like hardware keys and also authentication applications. The great news about the latter has to do with how simple it is in terms of convenience as well as how it’s for free.
But wait a minute, there’s also a big downside that not a lot of people speak about. And that is linked to the huge amounts of fake authenticator apps on Play Stores and App Stores. They have been designed solely for one purpose. And that has to do with draining victims’ wallets and robbing them of all sensitive information.
H/T: Mysk
One recent email was highlighted by a top developer who claims his team went through a few authenticator apps after the platform spoke of discontinuing the 2FA feature via SMS.
Many of these suspicious authenticator apps use this technique to trick users. After you finish the welcome wizard after the first launch, you get the in-app purchase view. And the x button to dismiss the view appears after a few seconds (upper right corner)#AppStore pic.twitter.com/sgxEo5ZwF0
— Mysk 🇨🇦🇩🇪 (@mysk_co) February 20, 2023
The findings were alarming as several fraudulent apps used for authentication were revealed and the shocking part is how dissimilar they appear. But that’s not all as so many of them are forcing people to shed cash but give them nothing in return.
We’re talking yearly subscriptions that range between $20 to $40 per year to attain the service. Similarly, they noticed one that releases scanned QR codes for the developer’s analytics account seen on Google.
Experts predict that such apps are going to loom on the app stores for a while now, and they’ll be more frequently encountered now than ever because Twitter disabled its 2FA and is asking money for it. And many aren’t ready to pay that much right now.
So what’s the solution? It’s simple, just download the feature from reliable sources including Google Authenticator, and Microsoft Authenticator to save yourself from the huge hassle attached.
Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry so be alerted, experts go on to mention that there’s nothing worse than having your personal data compromised.
Read next: Here Are The Most Popular Authenticator App Options From A Security Standpoint
