Apple introducing two factor authentication for iCloud
Apple is introducing two-factor authentication for users of its iCloud and other services, adding an extra layer of protection against hackers trying to access peoples' accounts by requiring mobile phone verification for changes in personal details or online purchases.
The move was announced coincidentally just hours after the weakness of single-password systems was demonstrated publicly on Twitter when the BBC Weather Twitter account was hacked, apparently by pro-Syrian activists who either guessed the password or captured it from an unwary user of the account. Twitter is working on the introduction of two-factor authentication, but has not announced any date for its introduction. The move brings iCloud, which has more than 250m users, into line with Google's Gmail services, which have offered such "2FA" security for some years.
