iPhone Hacks: What You Need to Know About Mobile Security

Guest Post by Jennifer Bell

Learn How Hackers Steal and Exploit Information to Ensure This Doesn’t Happen to You 

Cybersecurity is an important topic to know and understand in order to keep your information safe and secure. Even more specifically, it’s important to know and understand mobile security as well. Mobile security, especially with iPhones, is crucial as hackers are becoming smarter and more creative when it comes to iCloud hacks. Apple has partnered with network hardware and insurance companies such as Cisco and Aon to provide security against data breaches; but how can you ensure that even with these Apple partnerships that your iPhone is secure and protected against hackers? Here are the most common ways that hackers get into iPhones to steal or exploit personal information, keep these points in mind to best protect yourself from mobile security hacks.

Poor Passwords
Often, poor password choices or poor password management allows hackers to easily hack into iPhones and other Apple products. Hackers are skilled at obtaining Apple IDs and passwords using phishing scams which are attempts to obtain personal data and information by posing as credible and trustworthy electronic entities. Here are some tips to protect your password from hackers and phishing scams:

• Set up two-factor authentication for your Apple account 
• Choose passwords that have no significant personal meaning; such as birthdays or names of family or pets. Hackers can easily do their research and make educated guesses as to what a password maybe 
• Back up information in other places besides just the iCloud 
• Change all passwords if even just one account is hacked 

Untrustworthy Websites
One of the most common ways that hackers make their way into iPhones and other Apple products is by using websites that are not credible. These websites either have holes in the software that allows hackers to get into an iPhone or, they use websites to ask for personal information such as credit card information or contact information. How do you know if a website is credible?

• Ask yourself, does this website look trustworthy? Have I ever heard of it? Does it make sense for it to be asking me these questions? 
• Use a secure middle layer payment option for purchases. Using PayPal or Visa Checkout is a great way to make payments online because the payment is not directly connected to any of your bank information 
• Don’t open emails or any attachments that link you to a website if it comes from an untrusted sender 
• Look up websites if you haven't ever heard of them. If the website is untrustworthy, it’s likely that people have been scammed or hacked on there before and have shared/posted their story 

Public WiFi Networks
Hackers have been known to gain access to iPhones using WiFi spoofing which is creating a WiFi network that doesn’t require a password and seems like a trustworthy network. Computer forensic services have also discovered that if your iPhone is set up to automatically connect to WiFi, your iPhone will automatically sync up to a spoofed WiFi network and will open your phone up to hackers without you knowing. Avoiding public WiFi networks can potentially save your iPhone from hackers; similarly, avoid public hotspots for the same reason. 

Protect Your iPhone From Cyberattacks
Hackers are becoming more and more knowledgeable when it comes to stealing and exploiting people’s personal information found on their iPhones. Keep these points in mind and remember to keep your iPhone’s software up to date; these things can ultimately secure your personal information and save you from falling victim to hackers’ harsh motives.

About the Author 

Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey