On October 6th, 2021 a massive leak of Twitch.tv data was revealed which among other proprietary information exposed sensitive user data. As a result all users should take necessary precautions to secure their accounts.
In this article we will walk through:
- How to change your password
- How to enable two factor authentication
Change Your Password
In order to change your password you'll need to have your current password as well as a desired new password handy. We recommend using a password manager such as bitwarden to generate and store strong passwords securely. If you prefer to only create a password then use this strong password generator
- Visit the security and privacy tab of the Twitch settings page
- Click 'change password' under the security heading
- Fill out the form with your old and new passwords then click 'change password'
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Since passwords can be brute forced, two-factor authentication adds another layer of security to your password protected account. When enabled, a short-lived one-time code generated from a third party must be provided along with your password. We recommend using Authy which is available to download on most operating systems.
- Visit the security and privacy tab of the Twitch settings page
- Click 'set up two-factor authentication' under the security heading
- Click 'enable 2fa' in the dialog
- Enter your phone number then click 'continue'
- Enter the 7 digit code sent to your phone number via SMS
If you've set up Authy previously then you should be all set, otherwise you may be prompted with a QR code to scan
Further Reading
The more we rely on the internet to power our daily lives the higher the risk to our personal well-being data breaches will become. It's important to become familiar with the latest security measures and to employ them whenever possible.
Some things that should be on your radar:
- Avoid using SMS as your two-factor authenticator
- Learn about security keys
Wrapping Up
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