Apple ID: A Few Tips to Increase your Account Security Level
November 18, 2021
In this day and age, online security has become an extremely important part of our everyday life. The risks associated with creating a personal account on any platform are to be taken seriously, since doing so involves sharing our sensitive information with the companies that own web services, such as Apple with its Apple ID. The tech giant is known for the top-notch security measures it takes to protect its users, but there’s a little bit more you, as an Apple user, can do to better safeguard your data and privacy: in this article, we’re going to find out how you can strengthen your Apple ID security level!
What is Apple ID?
For those who don’t know, Apple ID is the account used to access Apple services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and more. It includes the email address and password necessary to sign in, as well as the contact, payment, and security details used across Apple services.
Improve the security of your Apple ID account
Now, Apple takes the privacy of your personal information very seriously by employing industry-standard practices to safeguard your Apple ID. But if you want to make sure that no cyber criminal could ever penetrate your Apple ID even in a million years, there are ways in which you can maximize the security of your account. Let’s check them out, shall we?
1) Use a strong(er) password
Apple policy requires you use strong passwords with your Apple ID that have eight or more characters, include upper and lowercase letters, and at least one number. For extra security, try adding extra characters and punctuation marks that make your password much harder to guess. Be as creative and extravagant as possible with your password to make things harder for ill-intentioned individuals.
2) Increase the difficulty of the answers to your security questions
As for many other web services, Apple ID uses security questions to provide you with a secondary method to identify yourself online or when contacting Apple Support. When used in conjunction with other identifying information, these questions help Apple verify that it is you who’s requesting access to your account. This security measure can come in handy in case you forgot your email address, password or phone number: answer the questions correctly to prove it’s you.
If you haven’t selected your security questions yet, learn how to set them up here!
3) Use two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication protects your account from being accessed from unknown devices. Even if someone knows your password, they can’t sign in to your Apple ID from a new device, because it is necessary that the account owner – you – verifies their identity with a six-digit verification code. Said code is displayed automatically on your other devices, or sent to a phone number you trust. Just enter the code to sign in and access your account on the new device.
Start using two-factor authentication for your Apple ID now by visiting this page!
4) Check for encryption and SSL
All web pages where you can view or change your Apple ID use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to protect your privacy. How do you know if your session is fully encrypted and secure? Well, in Safari, look for the lock icon in your browser when accessing your Apple ID account.
Source: Apple Support
