How To Secure Your iOS Device

Surfing through the internet, it’s highly unlikely if you have never come across the Android vs. iPhone memes. Besides laughing over the memes, I’ve always pondered over why iPhones are uniquely desirable, and what’s with this iPhone obsession? Maybe because of the brand? Or perhaps because of the glowing apple logo? Right from actors to common men, there has been a widespread usage of the iPhone by all sorts of people.

Upon researching, I concluded on ‘why people prefer the iPhone over Android.’ The primary reason accounting for the rise of the iPhone is its operating system iOS. Several other reasons include that iPhones are super simple to use; they are relatively smooth and faster than Android, and many more. However, they have their cons too! Like issues with the charging. iPhone battery drains out very quickly and so many times the charger gets damaged, but one can solve iPhone charging issues very easily. But one thing that is still debatable over the years is the security of iOS.

People believe that iOS devices are safer and secure since Apple provides high standard security, which is valid to an extent. Truthfully it is challenging to hack iPhones compared to androids. But still, iPhones are prone to hacks. So here are some ideas that can secure your iOS device.

Password

The first thing that comes into our mind to secure the data in iOS phone is to set a passcode, password, or pattern. Hacking an iOS device is tough, but still, there are chances for it to happen. By guessing your password, hackers can have easy access to your iPhone.

What to do?

The best way to overcome this problem is to set a strong password. Instead of going with date of birth or simple passwords like 123456 or qwerty, which can be cracked in no time, come up with a unique and strong password. It would be better if your six-digit passcode is alphanumeric, as it might be a hard task for the hackers to guess. The more complicated the password, the more secure your iOS phone. It’s appreciable to use different passwords for different accounts.

Two Factor Verification (2FA)

No matter how cautious you are, there will be instances where you find it challenging to figure out the password for a particular account. With such lousy memories, it makes the job of the hackers even easy. So it is always better to have a backup.

What to do?

For such instances, Two Factor Verification comes to rescue. Here, along with the password, the user will provide an extra set of information to ensure safety. So it is always advisable to enable Two Factor Verification by choosing Turn Two-Factor Verification On from settings. 2FA can be in any form like Hardware Tokens, SMS Text message, Voice note, or biometrics like fingerprints and facial recognition.

Safeguarding images and videos

When it comes to stealing of personal information, there is considerable concern about safeguarding images and videos. The possibilities of the photos getting leaked are high.

What to do?

Disable iCloud photo sharing, as there are chances for your images being shared without your concerns. Then, instead of backing up on iCloud, back up on computers because hackers can find it convenient to steal from iCloud. Also, don’t forget to disable image backups in iCloud.

Location tracking

Many of us feel that location tracking is useful as it helps us to track our missing devices. But it’s not entirely true. With every advantage, there comes a disadvantage. This location tracking can completely turn around us by revealing our whereabouts to strangers. The hackers can take advantage of our situation by knowing our whereabouts.

What to do?

Go to settings => Privacy => Location Services. And then disable the apps that have access to location tracking.

Juice jacking

There might be times where you will run out of battery, and you will be left with no choice but to use the charging port in public places. In such instances, as soon as you plug, the hackers use hiding hacking devices such as malware that exports the data from your phone.

What to do?

To avoid such incidents, always carry a portable charger in case of emergencies. Or use a data blocker, which is a USB dongle that only connects the power lanes of the USB.

Auto-join Wifi network

Free wifi is fascinating, but at the same time, it is threatening. Connecting to an unsecured nearby wifi network increases the chances of your information being stolen.

What to do?

It is always advisable to disable Auto-join Wifi network by clicking Settings => Wifi => Auto-join

Apps

When it comes to apps, we need to be extra cautious as it may be the primary gateway for our information to get leaked. Jailbreak is the tool that is used now a day to collect pieces of information from our phones. By jailbreaking the iPhone, hackers download third-party apps that are not provided by Apple. So once our information is gathered by the apps, then there is no way that Apple can control it.

What to do?

The most crucial point to be taken in mind is – Never jailbreak your phone. Uninstall the apps that you no longer use and download them whenever you need them. There are certain apps like cameras and contacts that can mislead the information. So it is better to disable permission in such apps.

Siri, the voice assistant

The eye-catching features of iPhones are indeed Siri. But there might be chances where you’ll encounter problems because of our beloved voice assistant.

What to do?

Always make sure to disable Siri in locked mode. If not, the job of the hacker will be easier than expected. Also, you might come across people whom you may suspect. On such occasions, use the Privacy Screen Protector, which makes it hard for the next person to see. Enable notifications settings in such a way to show preview only when it is unlocked.

Besides the listed ones, you can secure the iOS devices by staying up to date to fix bugs, removing home screen widgets, enabling USB restricted mode, installing anti-phishing, installing VPN, avoid opening unknown links, and many more.

Wrapping up

Apple Company indeed deserves all the appreciations that it receives. Right from designing a product to marketing it, they do everything with perfection. So there is no wonder why people are obsessed with the brand. As like every other invention, ios devices also come with certain shortcomings. But they work on every possible way to deal with the defect, which makes them super amazing!