There are countless reasons why you should have iCloud set up on your Apple device, starting with this one: it will free up major storage on your phone or computer and ensure the safety of your files and photos. If your phone were to get into the wrong hands, as long as you have those files backed up and saved to the cloud, you can rest east knowing they are safely stored. But that doesn’t mean iCloud is bulletproof. As a careful Apple user, it’s important to take steps to protect your iCloud account. Jonathan Merry, the vice president and co-founder at Bankless Times, recommends the safest ways to protect your iCloud data.
Strong Passwords
The number one thing you must do to protect iCloud data is to create long, unique passwords that not even your best friend (who knows everything about you) would be able to crack.
“First, strong passwords help prevent predictability for access to the stored data by hackers,” Merry says. “Further, two-factor authentication ensures that even if they predict the passwords correctly, they need your approval to access the data. Make sure that you don’t save your passwords when using public computers. This will enable you to be alerted when someone is trying to access your iCloud.”
And, while we’re on the topic, Merry recommends avoiding public networks altogether to keep your iCloud data safe because they are vulnerable to hacker attacks and may leave your data vulnerable.
Data Encryption And A Back-Up Plan
“Data encryption keeps your data safe from unauthorized access,” Merry says. “Data is converted to unique secret codes into ciphertext, hence [it’s] difficult for hackers to decrypt. It is an added security layer for data against hacker threats and malicious access.”
Finally, don’t assume that your iCloud will take care of itself with you backing it up. Merry suggests keeping a copy of your data for recovery if accidentally lost.
“Having your data backed up protects against accidental loss through a recovery option,” Merry says. “iCloud data is sensitive, and should not be confused as secure storage without proper security metrics.”
