Make your iPhone More Secure – Part 1
Your iPhone is the lifeline to your communications. The information on your iPhone could be easily accessed by hackers if you are not careful. It is vital that you make your iPhone more secure. Let’s take a look at ZDNet’s Privacy Checklist for 2021.
iOS does a great job of keeping your iPhone secure. It never hurts, however, to check and make sure that you are keeping up with all of the latest trends for keeping your important data safe. Here are a few ways that will make increase your iPhone security.
Password Manager
Megabite Computer Repair Fernandina Beach, FL, has discussed in the past why it is so vital you use a password manager. It never hurts to have a refresher though.
You would not want to build a house without a strong foundation. The same is true for building a strong password management system. Of course, iOS has a password autofill feature in iCloud Keychain. In addition, iPhone users often use third-party password managers like LastPass, Dashlane, and 1Password.
U.S. News & World Report recently did a review on our favorite, Sticky Password.
Two-factor Authentication for Your iCloud Account
Two-factor authentication is becoming increasingly popular and is an excellent way to help protect your iCloud data. Hackers are getting very smart and sneaky in breaking into accounts. Using 2FA gives you an extra layer of protection.
Ensure Your iPhone Locks Itself Quickly
According to ZDNet, shorter lock screen timeout times are best. Your setting options are from 30 seconds to never. The reason you want to choose maybe 30 seconds is because your iPhone will require authentication to access it much sooner. Another benefit is that you save on battery power.
You can change the auto-lock time by going to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
Use Find My
Are you in a place where you think your iPhone might be stolen? Or maybe you are somewhat forgetful and don’t remember where you last left your phone? Find My iPhone is a setting that you will be grateful to have loaded on your phone.
Activating this setting is a simple matter. To activate it, go to Settings and then tap your name at the top of the screen, and go to Find My > Find My iPhone.
This same setting will also give you an option to check the Send Last Location. It sends the location of your device to Apple when your battery is on its last breath which also allows you to find it if the battery is flat. The Find My network will also be able to find your phone even if it is offline.
Do Not Give Apps Your Precise Location
You do not have to let everyone know your precise location. Now, according to a description of this feature on my iPhone, “Location Services uses GPS, Bluetooth, and crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations to determine your approximate location.”
The key word in the above description is approximate. You can turn Location Services on or off. If you turn it on, you will be able to designate which websites or apps are being shared. For example, I have my Facebook shared. My choices for when I want to allow location access are Never, Ask Next Time or When I Share, While Using the app or Always. You can find Location Services under Settings > Privacy.
Control How Much Data Locked iPhones Can Leak
Did you know you can control how much or how little you want to be accessible on a locked device? iOS gives you control over the following:
* Today View
* Notification Center
* Control Center
* Siri
* Reply with Message
* Home Control
* Wallet
* Return Missed Call
* USB Accessories
The important point to consider is that the more you lockdown, the less opportunity hackers will be able to access your data. Unfortunately, the more you lock your iPhone means the more you will need to unlock your cell phone to check your activity.
I would suggest that you secure notifications. If you can see the notifications on your locked screen, so can other people.
Summary of Make your iPhone More Secure – Part 1
The above information is only a partial list of what ZDNet had to share with us. We took a look at the following points:
* The feasibility of using a Password Manager
* Why you should use 2 Factor Authentication
* Make sure your iPhone locks quickly
* Use the Find My Feature on your device
* Keep your precise location a secret, except when it is feasible to share and,
* How much (or little) you want to be accessible on a locked device.
Forecast of What’s to Come in Part 2
There is a lot more information that Megabite Computer Repair Fernandina Beach, FL, wants to share with you. You will definitely want to stay tuned for How to Make Your iPhone More Secure – Part 2. We’ll take a look at additional ways to protect your phone, so you will not want to miss the information listed below:
* Don’t give apps access to all your photos
* Stop being tracked on Wi-Fi networks
* Use Hardware Authentication
* Install a security app – Hmmm, see who ZDNet recommended
* What different-colored dots mean at the top of your screen
* Don’t neglect using a VPN
We’ll be posting Part 2 soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about what we have presented thus far, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Tags: iPhone more secure, iPhone securityCategorised in: IT Mobility
This post was written by Pam Lokker
