Your private information among other things can draw the line between a good and a bad public reputation. Privacy is a very valuable asset, yet it becomes harder every day to keep it safe from the ill-intentioned in the smartphone era. As we put more and more personal information in our devices, there is a higher risk of being deeply affected by any leaks in the security of the phone.
iPhones are known for providing a very solid protection of their users’ data and might have been the main reason you even bought one in the first place. Still, you should know that there is no such thing as an unbreakable system. With enough time and skills, professionals can breach through the most intricate security walls.
This doesn’t mean you should be hopeless in the face of a threat. You can still take measures to keep your device as protected as it can be and repel most of the attacks that you could receive even if you’re an influential person. Here are some tips you can follow to reach a good level of protection:
Use Good Encryption
You may have already done this since it is the most basic security measure and you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t concerned. Setting up a password or Touch ID automatically makes it impossible to access your phone’s data for a regular user without your consent.
Although the default option for a passcode is a 4-digit code, you can also set it up for a 6-digit code or, if you’re really concerned and don’t mind taking a little longer to unlock the phone, you can set up a passphrase, which can contain letters and symbols as well as numbers.
To configure a passcode or passphrase, open the settings app and go to General > Touch ID and Passcode > Change Passcode. Once there, if you want to change the type of code, tap ‘Passcode Options’.
Change the Password of Your Apple ID on A Regular Basis
If you’ve ever used an iPhone for more than 15 minutes, then you know that the Apple ID associated with it is extremely important for the overall security of the phone. To change the password of your Apple ID regularly is to have common sense. Ideally, you should change your password between every three and six months.
Even though it may be quite annoying to remember a different password so often, it is worth the trouble if you fear your security is being targeted. To change your Apple ID password, open the settings app and tap your name at the top, then select ‘Password & Security’ and tap ‘Change Password’.
Keep Your Device Updated
This is perhaps the most important measure of this list. You might be surprised to know that most system updates’ main reason to exist is to attend security issues with the potential of compromising your privacy. Still, major iOS updates are known to cause trouble during the first days of release, so you might want to wait one or two weeks to update if the most recent update has increased the first or the second set of digits (i.e. going from iOS 9 to 10 or 10.1 to 10.2).
In any case, you should update your device as soon as you feel comfortable with the current version of iOS. To update manually, open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication in your phone puts an extra layer of security over your Apple ID. This requires you have another ‘trusted device’ in which you’ll get a notification every time you sign in to your Apple ID account. With this tool, you could catch any unwanted access to your account and put an end to it right away. To configure this open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name at the top, then select ‘Password & Security’ and tap ‘Two-Factor Authentication.
Enable ‘Find my iPhone’
This feature is one you should not be eager to use since it might mean that you either lost your iPhone or that it was stolen. Find my iPhone allows you to track the location of your phone from the web. You shouldn’t trust this if your device has been hacked, although it is a nice way to find an unsuspecting thief. This app even allows you to remotely wipe all the data in the phone in case the phone contains sensitive data and retrieving it is not an option. To enable Find my iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top, then scroll and tap Find my iPhone and toggle it on.
Set the Device to Wipe Your Data
Like in a James Bond movie, you can configure your phone to self-destruct, or at least the closest thing to it, which is deleting all of its data. This would happen after ten consecutive (failed) passcode attempts.
This option might be a bit extreme, and I wouldn’t recommend it if you have children. But if you’re really concerned about the information contained in your phone, then this is a way of avoiding access to it by brute force. This means an unwanted user won’t be able to just try every combination of numbers until he or she coincidentally input your passcode.
To activate it, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Erase Data.
Set Tighter Limitations on Your Lock Screen
One of the most remarkable features of iOS 10 is that it allows you to display a lot of information on your lock screen. While this might be useful to some, it can be very dangerous if your phone gets stolen. Someone else might catch a glimpse of this data and use it against you. You should check what each app shows on the notification center and decide what to do with each.
It might also be a good idea to deactivate Siri while the phone is locked since there are records of people using Siri to bypass the phone’s security, although this is honestly very unlikely to happen. To do this, go to Settings > Siri and toggle ‘Access When Locked’.
Prevent Tracking from Apps
Many apps track your behavior through in-app ads. This information might be considered valuable since it could tell a lot about you as an individual. To disable this tracking, open the Settings app and go to Privacy > Advertising and enable ‘Limit Ad Tracking’. You should also tap on ‘Reset Advertising Identifier’ to ‘clean’ the ad history that apps might have about you.
Protect Your Navigation
If you want to be sure you’re completely protected from anyone who might want to track you on the internet, then you should consider installing a VPN. VPN servers encrypt all the traffic coming to and getting out of your iPhone, making it nearly impossible for hackers to eavesdrop on you while you’re online. This extends to your browser activity as well as what you do in other Internet-connected apps like social networks and such.
iPhones let you configure a VPN manually on the Settings app by going to General > VPN. Although the easiest way is to download a VPN app, since there plenty of them in the App Store. If you’re unsure about which is best, you could just install TorGuard, which covers pretty much all the VPN needs you may have right out of the box.
Here is a comparison table I made to show you some other options:
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Multi-platform Compatible | ||
| 256-AES Encryption | ||
| PRICE | $5 for 1 month with code "best10VPN" | $6.95 a month |
| Website Rating | 9.9 | 8.8 |
| 24/7 Live Chat | ||
| Residential / Dedicated IP for permanent streaming access | ||
| Has Mobile App + PC / Mac Support | ||
| Stealth VPN / Advanced Obfuscation techniques | ||
| Visit VPN Provider | Visit TorGuard | Visit PIA |
Conclusion
There exist many ways in which you can keep your personal data safe from unwanted individuals. You must remember that you will never be 100% protected from attacks. Yet, if you apply every bit of advice given here, you can be sure that the chances of having your information stolen from your device are a lot lower than most iPhone users out there.
