For a brief, yet terrifying, moment last Tuesday, Twitter followers of the Associated Press were alarmed after reading a tweet that alleged two explosions went off at the White House injuring the President.

A press conference was held shortly after and the AP stated that their Twitter account had been hacked. Unfortunately, the short-lived panic of the 140 character message had already made an immediate impact.

Hacking news organizations and high-profile accounts isn’t new. However, this most recent hack has exposed a serious problem: Twitter’s lack of two-factor verification.

A two-factor verification is beneficial in preventing password hacking. Companies including Google and Microsoft are already using this form of authentication for their services and Twitter will soon follow in their footsteps.

Twitter is one of world’s leading social media platforms used today. Numerous companies use Twitter to effectively run online promotions. This allows companies to market their brand easily and cost effectively while growing followers.

Although it remains unclear when Twitter will release the two-factor verification process; many are beginning to wonder what effect (if any) this will have on social media. Additionally, will companies continue to use Twitter’s social media platform to promote their business online?