Technology
Millions of iPhone owners urged to check settings or risk crooks spying on you
MILLIONS of iPhone owners are being urged to check their settings – to avoid snoopers, scammers and hack attacks.
Cyber-experts have told The Sun that users need to be extra vigilant around Christmas.
AppleConsider using iCloud Keychain to stop hackers from guessing your password[/caption]
Scammers and hackers take advantage of increased holiday spending and festive good cheer to target victims over the holidays.
And with around a billion iPhone users around the world, Apple fans are a major target.
“Keep your iPhone protected with a passcode or Face ID or Touch ID,” said Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy, speaking to The Sun.
“This prevents other users from using your iPhone.
“Also, use Apple Pay to pay for purchases when possible, both online and in stores.
“This protects you from credit card fraud, such as credit card skimmers.”
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Here are three key tips to keeping your iPhone safe
Update!
“There are a couple of very simple, but very effective, things iPhone users can do to stay safe this Christmas,” said Jamie Ahktar, CEO at CyberSmart.
“First, make sure you regularly update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS and download the latest versions of the apps you use.
“Software developers regularly ‘patch’ vulnerabilities in software and release them as updates.
“So by regularly updating you’re making sure your phone doesn’t have any easy routes in for cybercriminals.”
Hide your movements
It’s also important to make sure you’re not being spied on over public WiFi.
“Second, always use a VPN if you’re browsing the internet using a public network such as a train, coffee shop or pub,” Ahktar told The Sun.
“Unsecured public networks are one of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to launch an attack, so make it harder for them.”
You can get free VPNs online, but generally paid-for ones are faster and more secure – so consider spending a few dollars or pounds a month on one.
Password trick
Simple or re-used passwords are an easy entry into your online accounts.
Hackers take advantage of laziness – don’t let them.
“Last, use strong passwords for every account you access via your phone,” Ahktar explained.
“We recommend the NCSC’s ‘three random words’ approach (combine three random but memorable words for each password you set up).”
Apple has its own system to automatically generate strong passwords for you – check out our iCloud Keychain guide.
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