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Any time you use your phone to shop online or even post personal information on a social media website, you are taking a risk with your data. A professional hacker knows the ins and outs of how to gain entry into your device and find out passwords for sites or personal banking info. Of course this all sounds terrifying, but one thing to remember is that it can be avoided with a few fast changes that you can implement in minutes. When it comes to protecting your data while using your smart phone, tech experts rely on a few tricks of the trade that ensure they keep their private info as secure as possible. If you have time for just one hack that will make the most difference, this is the surprising iPhone hack that makes your personal data so much safer — and security experts stand by this one.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
If you are still relying on old methods of accessing websites, using just one simple password that is probably a cinch for hackers to crack, you are leaving your data vulnerable to prying eyes. The solution is simple and tech experts highly recommend it: enable two-factor authentication.
“One way to make the personal data you store and access using your iPhone is to enable two-factor authentication for iCloud,” says Therese Schachner, a cybersecurity consultant at VPN Brains. “Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security and privacy to your photos, documents, and other iCloud data. With two-factor authentication, when logging into your iCloud account on one device, you will be prompted to enter a verification code displayed on another one of your Apple devices. This extra verification step makes it much harder for hackers to compromise your iCloud account because doing so would require them to have physical access to your second Apple device.”
Whether or not you are using two-factor authentication, there are two additional important steps to keep in mind if keeping your data secure is a priority. The first: do not use simple passwords. “I know simple passwords are easier to remember,” says Tech Expert Atish Ranjan at Feedbeater. “You might be tempted to put your mom's birthday or your dad's middle name as your password, but we will advise you against that. See, giving a simple password might be convenient for you, but it is also an advantage for external parties who might be trying to access your personal data. So, keep your passwords a bit more complicated. Use a series of numbers and letters and other things to make your password long and not easy to guess.”
Finally: when your iPhone is ready for an update, make sure you don’t wait too long to comply.
“Remember the update reminders that keep popping up on your iPhone? Don't skip them,” Ranjan advises. “Keeping your iPhone updated is a very important step in protecting your personal data. An update will enhance your iPhone's security system and encryptions and let you access new features, which will, in turn, help you keep your data protected. If you do not know how to update your iPhone properly, go to settings, then general, then software update.”
