Viber to roll out ‘two-step verification’ worldwide

Rakuten Viber has announced the rollout of a new feature, two-step verification, to allow users to authenticate their accounts utilising a pin code and email.

The private messaging and voice-based communication platform is end-to-end encrypted, eliminating third parties from accessing data, and the disappearing message feature allows users to have further control over who sees their messages, said a press release.

"The privacy of Viber users is at the forefront of everything we do. We are committed to providing a secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging app, and this new feature takes it one step further," said Amir Ish-Shalom, chief information officer of Rakuten Viber.

"Two-step verification will alleviate our users' security worries, and reassure not only consumers but also businesses that Viber is providing the latest technology to ensure the platform remains secure."

Users who choose to enable the feature need to create a six-digit PIN number and verify their email address.

To log in to Viber on a mobile device or desktop, the user will have to verify the account by providing their individual PIN code.

In the event that the code is forgotten, the verified email address will be used to help the user restore access to their account.

Two-step verification protects against hackers hijacking users' accounts to send spam or access private information. Viber is currently working on adding biometric authentication in the future.

Viber's two-step verification feature will be rolled out globally very soon, reads the media release.