Protecting our sensitive information from the hands of criminals appears to be more difficult than ever. Hackers have been upping their game lately, leading to a spike in massive data breaches and ransomware attacks like Equifax. It’s a digital battlefield!
As a consumer, there was nothing we could do to prevent us from becoming the victim of an Equifax breach. If a company has your important data and doesn’t have adequate security, there are chances that you could be a victim of a data breach.
As I said, in that scenario, we are at the mercy of the company that has our information. However, there are times where we put ourselves at risk. An example of this is not setting up our gadgets with tight security.
If you are an Apple user, there is a good chance that you have already updated your gadgets to iOS 11. But you might not have taken advantage of the latest security features of the operating system yet.
That’s why you need to know about the privacy and security settings of iOS 11.
Keep Thieves and Spies Off Your Gadgets
The first step to keeping your iPhone secure is to set up a passcode. It will keep thieves in and spy out if it is lost or stolen. (Note: If you have an iPhone X, you can use facial recognition instead of a passcode.)
Always use this security setting where available
In the changing world of technology, security should be your biggest concern. You have passwords that help secure most of your online accounts. But to get the most out of your security, two-factor authentication (TFA) is a great way to keep your information truly secure.
Apple ID TFA, if used properly, is a simple and easy way to guarantee that only you will ever have access to your Apple ID account.
If you, or anyone for that matter, want access to your account, you’ll need three things: your Apple ID, your password, and access to one of your devices. If you don’t have access to all three, you can’t get access to the Apple ID.
It’s perfect because you know what your Apple ID is, and you should be the only one who knows your password (the more the better – click here for the password mistakes you need to avoid). You are also the only one with the device in hand, thus making it impossible for anyone else to gain access to your account.
When you sign in to a new device for the first time, a prompt will appear on your trusted device followed by a temporary code. You don’t need to write this code. Just type the number from your trusted device on the new device, and you’re in.
If you don’t receive the code for any reason, don’t worry. Simply hit “code not received” on the sign in screen and then you can text or call your trusted phone number to receive the code. If you’re on a web browser, a final prompt may appear asking if you want to rely on the new device. By selecting “Trust” you won’t need any codes when you sign in to that browser again.
It’s important to note that these “verification codes” that you are receiving are different from the passcodes that come on your device. This verification code is a one-time code that doesn’t matter once you use it.
With these things in mind, you should have no problem getting access to your account again. TFA really helps to reset it if you forget your password. On your Apple device, go to Settings >> [your name].
If you are using iOS 10.2 or earlier, tap on Settings >> iCloud >> Your Apple ID. Then tap Password & Security and tap Change Password. Or you can go to iforgot.apple.com and reset it there. Just make sure that you select “Reset from a trusted device” when choosing how to reset your password.
stop apps from tracking you
Are apps thought to be tracked? With iOS 11, you can decide which apps will receive your GPS information.
You can limit each app individually as to whether they can track your location at all times, only when you’re using the app, or never.
iOS 11 also comes with something called “Emergency SOS”. When this feature is enabled, it automatically dials numbers for emergency services based on location. Obviously, the U.S. I have this 911.
The new feature is designed to help a person in distress contact emergency services more quickly. To activate the feature, simply tap the Sleep/Wake button rapidly five times. That action bypasses TouchID and your gadget calls 911.