Mobile security is more important these days than before, and companies like Google have implemented ways to better security for their users with methods like Two Factor Authentication. Instagram, although nowhere the size of Google, has grown into a rather large and widely popular social network which has made it more of a high-value target for hackers. Users have been requesting a two-factor authentication method for some time which would help to ward off attacks from unauthorized users attempting to get into their accounts. After years of requiring just a username and password to get into someone else’s account on Instagram, the service is now beginning to implement two-factor authentication for improved security.
Much in the way Google has put two-factor authentication in place requiring the entry of a 6-digit code that is sent to the user by SMS after the login credentials are entered in, Instagram is going to now allow users to verify their Instagram accounts with a phone number following the sign-in process with a username and password. While it’s entirely possible that this kind of security may not stop every single hacker, it should provide security at a much higher standard than before, which should make users happy.
The addition of two-factor authentication now comes at an interesting time for Instagram who just recently rolled out a multi-account update which potentially cause a notable security risk via privacy issues that cause some users’ notifications to go to the device of whoever they shared an account with instead of their own, and even though the bug that was part of that recent update could have caused security issues much different and probably less sever than hacks, a security risk is still a security risk. While two-factor authentication is certainly a huge step for the social network, there’s no telling how long Instagram has been working on the change. It also isn’t the only new feature that Instagram has introduced recently, as Instagram also recently started adding view counts to video posts, which should more easily allow people who post videos consistently to see how much engagement they’re getting from them.