A unique login & password keeps your iCloud safe from hackers

A purported "Turkish crime family" is demanding a 6-figure ransom from Apple. According to Motherboard, if the ransom is not paid by April 7, the group will remotely wipe as many as 200 million Apple devices.

Apple is downplaying the threat, asserting that their system has not been hacked. The leak, they say, comes from the 2012 LinkedIn breach. 

So why is this a problem? Despite warnings from us and experts worldwide, too many tech users are logging in on multiple systems with the same password. So if your iCloud login and password are the same as your LinkedIn credentials, you may be in for a rude awakening on April 7. 

The easiest fix? Make sure your iCloud password is unique for that purpose only. In fact, if it's been a long time since you changed your iCloud password, do it before April 7. Make it strong, with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

For example: 7WarriorMonk$56&Y0 would be a very strong password. But PLEASE, don't use this one. Everybody reading this knows it now!

Click here to learn how to change your iCloud password.

Another suggestion is two-factor authentication (2FA). It can only be done on recent Apple devices. The good news is that even if someone gets your password, they can't do anything with it unless they have access to one of your other devices (also enrolled in 2FA). The bad news is it can really slow you down if you need to login to one of your devices. 

To read more about 2FA, click here.

Online safety and security are a mixture of best practices and common sense. Do you need a review of your security across your network of devices? Call Asheville Digital Lifestyle today to set up an appointment.