“Say no” to phishing and online scammers this Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Phishing and online scams are on the rise, and they are not limited to any one platform, location or tactic. Scammers are savvy and addressing this is an ongoing challenge that will only be successful when all parties work together. Twitter’s efforts in this space never stops, and part of that work is to continue educating people about online safety and account security. Twitter frequently releases guidance to avoid scammers including via Tweet Threads from Twitter’s official accounts, in Help Center articles, and blogs.

Another part of that critical work is the Twitter Rules. It is against those rules to impersonate individuals, groups, or organizations to mislead, confuse, or deceive others or use a fake identity to disrupt the experience of others on Twitter. Twitter also actively removes spam accounts and locks those suspected spam accounts that can’t pass human verification challenges such as captchas or verifying their phone or email address.

Serving the public conversation, Twitter believes it’s important that people are able to see different perspectives. To this end, Twitter strives to create a place where people can find authentic voices and trust the accounts they choose to interact with or follow. In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Twitter shares 6 tips on how you can also help join in the fight against scammers and ensure that you have a safe (and fun) experience on Twitter.

1. Create a strong account password

Protecting access to a Twitter account is pivotal. A simple way to do this is to choose a strong password that is unique to your Twitter account (at least 10 characters, ideally randomly generated and stored in a password manager).

2. Keep access details private

Never share your phone, email, @username, password, or one-time passcode with anyone. If, however, there’s reason to believe an account may have been compromised, change the password immediately.

3. Turn on two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security. This requires people to use a code or security key with the password in order to log in and helps ensure that only the account owner can access the account. Using a security key is the most robust way to protect an account from scammers and phishing attacks.

4. Take control over your DMs

If you receive a suspicious DM, don't download any attachments or click on any links, and don’t share any login information - delete the DM immediately. Then, check your account’s DM settings; update them to manage who can DM you. Remember, you’re in control and you can choose not to accept DMs from those you don’t follow.

5. Report to Twitter

Whether you think your account has been compromised, or you’ve received spam DMs, Report it. Such actions are against Twitter Rules. Remember that Twitter will only contact you in-app or via an email sent from an @twitter.com or @e.twitter.com email address. We will never ask you to provide your password via email, Direct Message, or reply.

6. Keep up-to-date

Keep your Twitter app, computer software, and browser up-to-date with the latest versions - updates are made for a reason.