Instagram Rolls Out New Security Features

Instagram Rolls Out New Security Features

The new tools will make it easier for users to protect their accounts.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Aug 30, 2018

Popular photo sharing app, Instagram, has announced three features designed to bring security and peace of mind to the platform.

The new tools will make it easier for users to know who is actually behind some of the platform's biggest accounts. It is also introducing its new verification system for celebrities and public figures, and offers support for the use of third-party authenticator apps.

Until now, Instagram's implementation of two-factor authentication wasn't as secure as it could have been. After security researchers' many complaints, Instagram is finally introducing the ability to receive login codes through an app, instead of a test message. SMS messages are a less secure way to verify someone's identity because mobile accounts are vulnerable to SIM hijacking, an increasingly prevalent hack.

Hackers have attacked the platform many times over the past year. SIM hackers known to target desirable Instagram usernames and gain access to the accounts by taking control of the user's phone number and routing all the victim's texts and calls to a different SIM card.

Hackers then sell hijacked Instagram handles for thousands of dollars' worth of bitcoin. A number of Instagram users who were hacked said they had two-factor authentication enabled and Instagram did not warn them that their settings had been bypassed, changed or disabled.

The victims had only realized they had been hacked when they found that their accounts' handles and avatars had been changes, and their accounts' associated email addresses had been switched to ones with Russian .ru domains.

To set up the two-factor authentication via app on Instagram, you first need to download a third-party authenticator app if you don't already have one. You can choose from several, including the Google Authenticator, Duo or Authy.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Empowering and Securing a Mobile Workforce

    What happens when technology lets you work anywhere – but exposes you to security threats everywhere? This is the reality of modern work. No longer tethered to desks, work happens everywhere – in the office, from home, on the road, and in countless locations in between. Read Now

  • TSA Introduces New $45 Fee Option for Travelers Without REAL ID Starting February 1

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026. Read Now

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.