March 29, 2024 1:27 AM
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Easy Tips to Safeguard your iPhone or iPad

Your iPad or iPhone is likely packed with valuable, useful, and even sensitive information. You wouldn’t want others to access the documents or photos on your device. To ensure thieves and snoopers don’t get a hold of the information on your device, here are some security tips. 

Create a strong password that nobody can guess, including your friends and family 

Nobody wants people snooping around their iPad or iPhone. Keep these snoopers out of your device by creating a strong, long password. Tap Settings > select Touch ID & Passcode (or if you are using an iPhone with Face ID, select Face ID & Passcode) > enter your existing passcode and tap on Passcode options to get a list of options > choose between Custom Numeric Code, Custom Alphanumeric Code or 4-Digital Numeric Code. The most secure option is the second one. 

Enable Apple activation lock

Your phone is your most prized possession. You probably use your iPhone or iPad for everything, from clicking pictures to listening to music and reading emails. Therefore, it is a treasure trove of information. If your device gets stolen or lost, you would not want anyone to get access to such data. That’s where Apple’s activation lock feature comes in handy. Thanks to this feature, your device’s hardware are rendered useless, and whoever has taken your device cannot use it. 

While this is a useful feature, it can cause you great annoyance if you forget the activation lock credentials. You’ll need to bypass activation lock, and for that, you must remember your screen code, Apple email ID and password, etc. 

Enable brute-force protection 

iPhones come with brute force protection, preventing unauthorized users from guessing their passwords. Tap Settings > choose Touch ID & Passcode or Face ID & Passcode > enter the current passcode and scroll down to Erase Data. 

After ten attempts, the encrypted key will be deleted, and all the data will be wiped. 

Update your device and backup data 

Updating the operating system and apps is one of the easiest ways to safeguard your iPad and iPhone. Whenever there is an iPadOS or iOS update, your device will notify you. Alternatively, you can manually check for updates by tapping Settings. Go to the App Store to check for app updates. If any updates are pending, install them. 

Before installing an OS update, you must ensure to take a backup of your data in iCloud or iTunes. It will help recover from problems that might arise during the installation process. Furthermore, you can encrypt your backups to protect against cyberattacks and ransomware. 

Whenever you are using public Wi-Fi networks, use a VPN 

A virtual private network or VPN enables users to create a secure connection between their device and the VPN provider’s server. It allows you to securely browse the web without worrying about anybody snooping on what you are doing.

Check if the Find My iPhone is working

If your device has been stolen, the thief could disable the Find My iPhone’s access to the device’s location. Therefore, it would negate the advantage of having an application that allows users to geolocate their device from another device. 

Even if the thief can figure out the primary password, setting an app permission restriction preventing the thief from blocking Find My iPhone will help in such situations. You can make this change under the General menu in the Settings app. You can choose the Restrictions option and enter a unique password. Then, switch off the ability to allow location & accounts permission changes. 

Safeguard your web browsers 

If you are using Safari or any other web browser, it is critical to ensure your data is kept safe. You would not want anybody to follow your activities online. For instance, you can use the Private Browsing feature of Safari. The feature ensures a web page open in one tab cannot see pages open in other tabs. Aso, websites are discouraged from storing data on your device. The websites are asked not to track your browsing pattern. 

You can use third-party browsers that offer added control over security options if you need stronger security. You must also ensure to download the legitimate versions of those apps by going to the App Store. 

The Application Permissions must be managed, so you don’t give away private information 

If you don’t pay attention to Application Permissions, you might be giving away your location and other information to the app without your knowledge. You need to tap the Settings app and look for Application Permissions. Open the menu and manually select specific permissions to reject and allow. You can also manage a few permissions under the Privacy menu. 

Wrapping up

Keep nosy parkers and thieves out of your iPhone and iPad by following the above security tips. Your responsibility is to keep your data safe and out of reach of cybercriminals or even your friends. 

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