Smartphones are fantastic technological achievements, almost anyone will agree. They allow us to stay connected with loved ones, remain organized, keep entertained and fill our storage with pictures of our cats; which are some of the reasons we all stay glued to them. But having all this information in one place can be risky… Really risky.
If you don’t consider yourself a techy person, making sure your iPhone is as safe as possible on your end can be a daunting task.
So, where do you start?
Keep that lock screen locked
As obvious as it may seem, keeping the iPhone lock screen truly locked is much rarer than you may think.
Just from the lock screen you can access all sorts of widgets like media playback controls, camera, notifications, electronic wallet, missed calls, and your control center. The list continues, but you can see the danger in being able to access all this info from a locked phone.
How to lock it down:
Go to your settings application on your iPhone, go to the top search bar and type in “Allow Access When Locked”. Click the result and type in your passcode (it should go without saying that you must have a passcode!). Scroll to the bottom and review the options under “Allow Access When Locked”. Click the sliders to turn off the options from being accessible on the home screen.
Yes, it is that simple!
Check Compromised and Duplicate Passwords
Apple has a feature that checks if websites that you have accounts with have been breached. You must have your account saved on your iPhone Key Chain for this feature to apply.
Go to Settings> Passwords
Once you are in you will see an option labeled “Security Recommendations”. This is where you can check if you have accounts with compromised passwords as well as any accounts that have reused passwords. Remember, having different passwords for all your accounts can be a lot of work at times but is essential to keeping your data safe!
Lost iPhones are basically a thing of the past
Most people have heard about the “Find My iPhone” feature that apple offers. But did you know the IOS 13 update allows your phone to be located even if it has no signal or is turned off? Having this is a must!
Open your settings and click on your name at the top. You should see the option “Find My”. Click it. This toggle should be enabled by default but make sure the switch is toggled on next to “Find My iPhone”. Also, if you would like the features with the IOS 13 update stated above, make sure “Find My Network” and “Send Last Location” are both toggled on. This will send your iPhone’s last location at a critical battery level and can locate your iPhone even when it is offline. This does enable more tracking features, so use it at your own discretion!
Locking down your Apple ID
Your Apple ID gives you access to a ton of features and services. It contains the email and password you use to sign in on apple devices. It also contains private info like payment options, contact info, and some security details you use across connected devices.
One extra step to recovering your Apple ID many people don’t know about is adding a recovery contact.
Go to your settings> click your name at the top> Password & Security> Account Recovery. Within this subsection, you can choose “Add Recovery Contact”. Your iPhone will then give you step-by-step directions on adding a contact of your choosing.
You can also turn on your “App Privacy Report” to see how the apps you use are utilizing your data.
Simply type in “App Privacy Report” in your settings and click on the corresponding option. Once you begin to use apps on your iPhone it will monitor how it uses your information and how they contact 3rd party services.
These few simple security steps are a good start to keeping your data safe, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Having a team of expert technicians to support your cyber security needs within your business is essential at this point.