If you were to download a data report that shows all of the data your iPhone has collected on you over the years, you might be surprised to learn how much it actually knows. It’s necessary for your phone to collect a certain amount of data so that it can properly do its job in providing you a convenient way to recall contacts, for example, or save and store complex passwords to banking apps so that you don’t have to remember 100 complicated passwords. But it’s one thing to have a phone that contains your information and quite another to think about that personal info falling into the wrong hands.
“Everyone has experienced the pain of losing personal data,” said Khalid Hossen, co-founder and editor at VentCube. “It is painful enough if you lose the information of your personal or professional life, but even worse when you know someone else has access to your private information. If you’re in possession of a smartphone, you should be taking precautions to make sure your data is safe.” Here, Kossen offers three iPhone tips for keeping your personal data safe.
Delete Your Data
Chances are your phone has collected plenty of data that is no longer relevant to your life, especially if you’ve been using a smartphone for a decade or even longer. “If you want to keep your personal data safe, you must delete it before someone else gets a hold of it,” Hossen said. “Before you delete anything, first consider what you will be deleting and think about where you want to put the data. When you go to delete an app, you might have to back up your data first. You can do this in iCloud, Google Drive, or any other cloud storage service you have. Next, log out of your phone and any other devices connected to the internet. Lastly, delete the application from your phone and then log in again. Now you have deleted your data.”
Enable 2-Factor Authentication
There isn’t a tech security on Earth who won’t recommend two tech habits: creating complex passwords that include upper and lowercase letters along with numbers and symbols, and enabling 2-factor authentication to really ramp up on security measures. “If you use social media, you probably know that some accounts offer the option of enabling 2-Factor Authentication,” Hossen said. “You use this feature on websites that store your sensitive information, such as banking, email, and other social media accounts. If you have an account on one of these sites, you will be prompted to enter a code sent to your phone to confirm you are who you say you are. This protects you from unauthorized access. To enable this, go to the settings on the account and then choose ‘2-Step Verification.’”
Back Up Your Data
“If you want to keep your personal data safe, you should backup all your data at least once a month,” Hossen said. “This should be done before making any major changes to your phone or computer. If you’re using iCloud or Google Drive, this will be easy to do. However, if you want to back up your files locally, you need to download them to an external hard drive.”
Don’t sleep on iPhone security. Take these active steps to keep your most personal data as safe from prying eyes and hackers as possible.
