Your iPhone passcode is a crucial security feature that protects all your data. Although, most people do not know that with access to your iPhone password, someone can reset your iCloud password and gain access to all of your data.
Your iPhone passcode is a crucial security feature that protects all your data. Although, most people do not know that with access to your iPhone password, someone can reset your iCloud password and gain access to all of your data.
Your iCloud Data
Your iCloud account contains a wealth of personal information, including your emails, contacts, texts, passwords, and photos. It also stores your backups and lets you locate lost or stolen devices using Find My. If someone accesses your iCloud account, they could access all of your personal information and make purchases using your saved credit card information or Apple Pay.
Stolen Devices
There have recently been an increasing number of cases of people, especially at bars, watching people enter their iPhone password (or even taking a video of them doing so) and then stealing their device. After they steal the victim’s iPhone, they will quickly use their password to change their iCloud password, enable Advanced Data Protection (prevents data from being recovered), and disable Find My, making it impossible for you (and Apple) to recover your data and device.
How to Prevent Losing Your Data
It is worrying how easy it is for bad actors to steal your data and expensive devices. There is nothing you can do to avoid this, but here are a few tips to drastically reduce the risk:
Use a Strong Password
If someone steals your phone without knowing the password, they will likely try easy passwords first like 1234 or 0000. Avoid using easy-to-guess passwords like consecutive strings of numbers, simple patterns, or the name of someone close to you like a spouse, sibling, or parent (this information is on sites like whitepages.com).
The best passwords are alphanumeric. Choose one with at least one capital letter, number, and special character. If you are worried about forgetting a complex password, write it somewhere secure in your home. An alternative to alphanumeric passwords is 6-digit codes. Do not use a 4-digit passcode.
Avoid Entering Your Password in Public
Preventing your device and data can be as simple as not entering your password in public. Use FaceID and TouchID as often as possible. If you need to enter your password for an activity like downloading an app around others, put your hand over the screen or wait until you are alone.
Conclusion
Your iPhone passcode is a crucial security feature that protects all your data. However, most people are not aware that with access to your iPhone passcode, someone can reset your iCloud password and gain access to all of your data.
Take steps to prevent losing your data like using strong passwords and avoiding entering them in public. With the increasing cases of stolen devices, taking precautions to protect your personal information can help drastically reduce the risk of your devices and data getting stolen.
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