IF you have an iPhone, you may be at an unnecessary risk.
There is a genius (and very simple) iPhone hack that can help keep hackers at bay.
1
What are iCloud Keychain and Safari Strong passwords?
We are constantly told to choose complicated passwords, but that is difficult with so many accounts.
iCloud Keychain remembers the passwords you type on your iPhoneencrypts them and stores them in the cloud.
So you can choose very strong passwords for websites and apps without having to remember them – your phone just enters them for you when you log in.
This is one of the best defenses against hackers.
“iCloud Keychain remembers things so you don’t have to,” Apple explains.
“It will automatically fill in your information such as your Safari usernames and passwords, credit cards, Wi-Fi networks, and social logins on any device you approve.
“iCloud Keychain stores your passwords and credit card information in such a way that Apple cannot read or access them.”
And the Safari web browser now has a special feature called Strong Passwords.
When you log into a service in Safari, you are given the option to use an auto-generated password that is very difficult for hackers to crack.
This password is automatically saved to your iCloud Keychain so you don’t even have to remember it.
You can also add passwords you already have to the Keychain.
But one of the best features is the password reuse warning.
It is important to never use the same password for multiple accounts. Reusing passwords allows hackers who break into one account to gain access to others.
Your Safari saved passwords will warn you when you have two passwords that match, and suggest a change for you.
How to set up iCloud Keychain
First, make sure you’re using an Apple device with iOS 7.0.3 or later, or OS X 10.9 or later for Macs.
On your iPhoneiPad or iPod Touch, follow these steps:
- Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud (on iOS 10.2 or earlier, it’s just Settings > iCloud)
- Tap Keychain
- Tap the slider to enable iCloud Keychain
For Mac devices, you need to do the following:
- Click on the Apple menu at the top left
- Choose System Preferences
- Select iCloud
- Select Keychain
How to View iCloud Keychain Passwords
On an iPhone with iOS 11 or later:
- Tap Settings > Accounts & Passwords > App & Website Passwords
- Use Touch ID or Face ID when prompted
- Tap a website to view your password
On an iPhone with iOS 10.3 or earlier:
- Tap Settings > Safari > Passwords
- Use Touch ID or Face ID to enter your device passcode
- Tap a website to view your password
On a Mac with OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later:
- Choose Safari > Preferences
- Click on Passwords
- Select a website to view your passwords
- Select Show passwords for selected websites at the bottom of the window
- Enter your Mac password
Apple passwords
Apple has even gone one step further: removing passwords completely.
It’s called Passkeys and was added in the last iOS update, so check first if you have iOS 16by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Instead of logging in (or logging in) to a website with a password, use a passkey.
This is a digital key that you do not need to remember.
And you simply authenticate with your fingerprint (Touch ID) or face (Face ID) on an iPhone or Mac.
Logging in is just as fast and means you have a login that just can’t be guessed or leaked.
Your passkeys are stored on your devices, but synced across multiple gadgets using Apple’s iCloud Keychain – which already exists to track passwords.
No one can read your passcodes, including Apple.
And it means you can’t be tricked into handing over a password via phishing because you don’t have to hand over any information.
The ultimate plan is to make Passkeys work on non-Apple devices as well, including Windows laptops and android Phones.
Microsoft and Google have both been developing passwordless systems for years.
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