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5 Ways to Make Sure Your iPhone Is the Most Secure It Can Be

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Your passcode might not be enough to keep your iPhone secure. Try these tips to add extra layers of security to your most sensitive data.

Many of us believe that passcodes are good enough to keep our iPhones safe from hacking. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Recent surveys suggest that as many as a quarter of us use easy-to-guess passwords for logging into our digital accounts, and more than half of us commonly use insecure networks on our devices for Internet access.

Doing so could be potentially disastrous. With hackers becoming more resourceful than ever, it’s essential that we all step up our game a bit when it comes to securing our devices. We’ve picked out five of the best ways to keep your data safe.

1. Change your passcode frequently.

It’s a pain to do, but one of the easiest ways to keep your data safe is to get in the habit of changing your passcode on a regular basis. You never know who might be watching you enter your passcode. Some people can guess pretty easily what you’re entering even without a direct view of your screen. If your device has the option for passcodes larger than four digits, use it; it’s much harder to guess longer ones.

2. Use biometric identification.

Take advantage of any biometric passcode options your device may have. Biometric security uses our unique biological traits to authenticate identity, the most common with smartphones being the fingerprint. Since each of our fingerprints is unique, it’s very difficult for attackers to break into devices using biometrics.

Iris scanners are a new option, though it appears that the technology isn’t there just yet to make it as reliably secure as a fingerprint login.

3. Use ‘two-factor’ identification.

Don’t rely on one single method to keep your data safe. Some secure websites now require you to enter two types of passwords, further minimizing your risk. While not a native feature, this is possible via a third-party app. Avatier MFA is one such app. It uses both your fingerprint and voice to confirm your identity before granting access to your data.

4. Use secured Wi-Fi.

While unsecured public Wi-Fi hotspots are an easy way to get online and save some of your data, they also pose a big security risk for those using the network. Anyone can log onto the network and “snoop” on network traffic. Stick to secured networks instead, which aren’t as convenient but will keep hackers away.

Also follow your iPhone’s security recommendations when connecting to new Wi-Fi networks. If it is telling you that the network may not be secure, it’s best to not use that Wi-Fi hotspot at all.

5. Automatically erase data.

Find my iPhone allows you to track your iPhone in the event it gets stolen, with an option to remotely wipe all data off the device if need be. There’s a caveat, though, and that’s a working Internet connection. Smart thieves know about the tracking functionality and will likely attempt to shut that off as soon as possible so they’re not caught.

Instead of relying on Find My iPhone, set your iPhone to do it automatically on its own after 10 straight failed passcode login attempts (This is located in Touch ID & Passcode settings). You’ll lose Find My iPhone capability, but at least you’ll know your data is safe.

These are only a few of the many ways you can further secure your iPhone, but the #1 thing we’d recommend is being vigilant. If you’re told to upgrade to fix security holes, make sure you do. Keep abreast of new attacks, and make the necessary changes to your own habits to protect yourself.

The worst thing you can do is nothing. Nearly all of us in some way could do more to protect ourselves, and with these hackers becoming so good at what they do, what we need to do will change over time. By taking an active role, it makes the hacker’s job that much harder.


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