Twitter beefs up security safeguards after recent attacks

Twitter Inc began introducing new technology on Wednesday to shore up security for users, responding to a spate of recent attacks on prominent accounts including those owned by the Associated Press and Financial Times.

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Twitter said in a blog post it has begun to introduce "login verification," a form of two-factor authentication in security industry parlance. The feature asks users to confirm their identity after a typical log-in, by sending a six-digit code to smartphones that must then be typed in to complete a sign-on.

The microblogging service, considered one of the most important communications platforms today, has not done enough to help protect users' accounts, critics say. That criticism intensified after a fake tweet sent from the AP's account in April about a non-existent White House explosion briefly roiled US financial markets.

"There's a second check to make sure it's really you," the company said on its official blog.

Repeated hacking incidents have raised questions about Twitter's credibility and reliability just as it is beginning to assume a central role in a fast-changing media landscape, with the volume of tweets rising to more than 400 million a day.