Apple products enjoy a solid reputation as some of the most reliable devices on the planet. Each year when a new version is released, thousands of people line the streets, sleep outside the Apple store, and try to get in first to buy the glorious new iOS device. iPads and iPhones are common in most households now, serving many uses – streaming music or video, FaceTiming family, or iMessaging.
The one thing you want to make sure you’re doing is keeping your iPhone or iPad safe from online hackers. Because nowadays, there’s more cybercrime, with these and other types of devices being targeted, especially as they’re all connected to the internet. That’s why we’ve put together some top security tips to help protect yourself from hackers.
First, some alarming stats which show just why you should take notice:
- According to Security magazine, there is a hacker attack every 39 seconds
- Cybercrime is more profitable than the illicit drugs trade, says Cybersecurity Ventures
- Hackers manage to steal 75 records every second, according to Breach Level Index
So, with that in mind, here are ways to protect yourself and your iPhone and iPad.
Keep up to date
It’s easy to let this fall by the wayside, but it’s vital that you make sure your iOS operating system is up to date, and not just to stop it from slowing down. You’ll often get a reminder that your OS needs to be updated, but so many people ignore this. Especially if they don’t have the right amount of battery or enough space on their cell phone. Hackers will find exploits in older versions and can use that to hack your iPhone or iPad. By updating it, you can use Apple’s latest security releases to give you some extra protection. If you don’t update straight away, simply go to the Settings, and under General, you’ll find the Software Update. You can also turn on automatic updates for next time.
Don’t lose it
It sounds simple, but you wouldn’t believe the number of people that lose their iPhones. It’s one of the worst feelings, and then the fear overcomes you as you think about all those precious photos and messages that you hadn’t backed up to the cloud. The first step then is to make sure you don’t put it in silly places, like loose in a bag. But more importantly, make sure you activate Find My iPhone. The last thing you want is for someone to find your lost phone and then hack into it. By activating this, you can track your phone and hopefully find it before anyone else does. If this isn’t possible, you can still remotely wipe it to make sure no hackers can get any of your details.
Stay on top of current trends
It’s always worth knowing about the latest cybersecurity trends and news stories. By being aware of what’s currently going on, you’ll be well placed to take the right measures if and when the time comes. As hackers are always changing their techniques, you never know what could happen next. All you need to do is read the latest cybersecurity news to find out everything you need to know in the world of online privacy and cybercrime.
Passcode protected
When you created your passcode for your iPhone and iPad, did you use one that you use for everything else? If you have both devices, have you used the same passcode for both? And when was the last time you changed it? There are hackers out there who can find out a simple 4-digit code – and we hope you haven’t got 1234 or 0000 as your passcode? What you need to do to protect yourself from hackers is have a long password that’s made up of numbers and letters. It’s also worth changing it every so often, just to keep any hacker off the scent.
Don’t lose your photos
Okay, it’s not necessarily you losing your photos, but rather hackers getting them from you. You probably remembered the massive celebrity leak a few years ago. While iPhones and iPads are notoriously safe devices, there are always extra steps you can take to keep your photos safe. First of all, make sure any embarrassing ones are deleted or stored safely offline somewhere. Then make sure you’ve turned off Photo Sharing and iCloud backup – if you want to send or back up photos, do it manually in a safe, controlled way. As so many of us use iPhones as a camera, we have lots of photos that we want to keep private. Be sensible and make sure you keep your privacy too.
Bye-bye Siri
It’s always fun to ask Siri stupid questions, but more often than not, Siri’s a hindrance rather than a help. Hackers are sophisticated and can also use Siri to get personal data, so do away with the nonsense and just disable the little iOS robot voice.
These are some of the basic steps you can do to ensure your iPhone and iPad is kept safe away from hackers. They’re pretty easy to do, too, meaning you can carry on using your device while keeping these in mind and staying safe.