If, like me, your iPhone knows more about you than your partner, your psychologist or
your doctor, you probably want to take a few steps to prevent all that incredibly personal
data that you have shared with your iPhone from being compromised.
Here are 15 iPhone security best practices.
(note that I am using an iPhone 8).
Update to the latest iOS version Apple came under fire recently after admitting
that it was using iOS updates to deliberately compromise older iPhones.
That has led to lots of people abandoning iOS updates entirely.
However, it’s worth remembering that firmware updates deliver security features that address
vulnerabilities that could compromise your device.
Avoid using public WiFi Public wifi networks can be very convenient
but they introduce significant risks as they often have limited security.
This means it’s relatively easy for criminals to access whatever you’re doing online over
the network.
It’s best to avoid these entirely – and make sure “Ask to Join Networks” is switched
off on your phone, so that you don’t inadvertently reconnect to old networks.
If you have to use public wifi (and can’t use a VPN), make sure you:
Don’t use it to access sites that hold your sensitive information
Avoid logging into sites via apps – rather visit the website and make sure it uses https
Only use Wifi and Bluetooth if you need them If you don’t need wifi or bluetooth, turn
them off so that you’re less vulnerable.
Use location services sparingly Location services are really convenient, but
it’s important to understand how they work.
The hardware in your phone is capable of communicating with satellites orbiting the globe.
Through triangulation (which involves communicating with three satellites at the same time), the
GPS is able to pinpoint your exact location, which is highly convenient when you need directions.
However, does every app on your phone need to broadcast your whereabouts?
The more apps you are sharing your location with, the more vulnerable you are to that
information getting into the wrong hands – such as criminals who want to know when you’re
away from home.
You can find out which apps are using location services in Settings – Privacy.
Set up a passcode to unlock the phone If you lose your phone or it gets stolen,
you want to make sure whoever gets their hands on it can’t access all your sensitive information.
So it’s advisable to set a Passcode to unlock the phone.
You can do this in settings – Touch ID and Passcode.
And don’t forget to set “Erase Data” to erase all data on the phone after 10 failed
passcode attempts.
Set auto lock timeout to a few minutes If your phone is already unlocked when you
lose it, you want it to lock automatically to protect your private data.
Mine is set to 2 minutes.
To do this go into settings – display and brightness.
Don’t use touch ID If you want to be really safe, don’t use
touch ID (even though it’s incredibly convenient).
That’s because it’s pretty easy for someone who wants to fake your fingerprint to do so.
To disable Touch ID, go to Settings – Touch ID and Passcode.
Ensure Find My iPhone is enabled Even though this feature uses location services,
it’s worth enabling it so that you can remotely wipe your iPhone through iCloud if you lose
it.
You can enable Find My iPhone in settings – Apple ID – iCloud.
Protect your data while browsing In the Safari settings, make sure fraudulent
website warning is turned on, and turn off all autofill settings.
Browser autofill is a real privacy risk as it can be easily compromised.
Erase all data before selling Before you sell or give away your phone, wipe
it – it’s very easy to do.
It’s in Settings – General – Reset – Erase all content and settings.
Disable tracking Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
> System Services and turn off tracking wherever you don’t need it – if you don’t need
to share your data with an organisation…don’t do it!
Turn off notification previews You can determine which notifications show
on the lock screen in notification previews in Settings > Notifications.
If your iPhone end up in the wrong hands do you want your WhatsApp messages and emails
to show up as they come through?
Use two-factor authentication for your Apple ID
This means that someone who has your password still won’t be able to access your account.
It’s an extra layer of security for your Apple ID.
Set it up in Settings – your name – Password & Security.
Don’t back everything up to iCloud While iCloud backup is incredibly convenient,
do you need all your data from all your apps stored on Apple’s servers?
Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups, and you can choose which
apps back up to iCloud and which don’t.
Disable any apps that hold sensitive data.
Never jailbreak your device Jailbreaking basically means overriding the
restrictions that Apple puts on the operating system so that you can take full control of
the device.
People do it so that they can install apps and tweaks that aren't authorised by Apple.
However, it also overrides the built-in security protections in the iOS – so it leaves your
phone vulnerable.
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