Protect Your Privacy on Your iPhone

Protect Your Privacy on Your iPhoneThese days more and more people are beginning to use their smart phone as their main tool for browsing the web, transferring documents, sharing and storing personal pictures, and managing financial accounts.

There is also an increasing use in the workplace. A smart phone can be a treasure trove of personal information and proprietary work information that can be exploited for financial or personal gain. Sensitive data can be found in a multitude of places on your iPhone:

  • Private emails containing passwords to other accounts, financial account information and attachments containing sensitive information such as a tax return;
  • Work emails containing confidential business communications, intellectual property or protected customer information;
  • Should your iPhone passcode be bypassed or left unlocked, a thief can use apps installed on your phone to manage bank or financial accounts and other sensitive transactions; and
  •  Pictures in the iPhone camera roll may be of a private personal nature or contain scans of sensitive documents for personal or professional use.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize just how much personal information is accessible via their iPhone and don’t take necessary steps to protect it. Sometimes people go beyond failing to take protective measures and actually take proactive measures to reduce the security of their iPhone. 

For example, many people opt to “jailbreak” their device which entails the owner making unauthorized modifications to the operating system of the phone. These modifications allow users to download apps or perform other tasks normally not allowed by the iOS. This can result in severely reduced security measures that come with the iOS in order to protect your personal information and ward off malware targeted at your iPhone. (Yes, there is malware designed to attack iPhones).

The latest iPhone has a fingerprint scanner that can be used to unlock your iPhone in lieu of entering a four digit passcode, but was successfully hacked about two days after the iPhone 5s was released.

New hacks and tricks are discovered every day by white hat hackers looking to expose iPhone’s vulnerabilities so that Apple can resolve them. Many of these hacks are short lived as Apple is good at providing updates to close security loopholes when they are discovered, but they continually surface  and this requires vigilance on the part of the iPhone owner to stay up to date on iOS updates. These hacks often include methods to bypass the unlock passcode to access limited capabilities of the iPhone via Siri or the control panel.

While there is no surefire way to avoid having your iPhone hacked, there are many ways to reduce your chances of unauthorized access:

  • Keep your iOS updated and be quick to install the updates as soon as they become available;
  • Disable access to Siri and Passbook while the phone is locked by navigating to Settings -> General -> Passcode Lock and switching Siri and Passbook to off;
  • Disable access to the Control Center while the phone is locked by navigating to Settings -> Control Center and turning off the “Access on Lock Screen” option;
  • Should you decide to use the fingerprint scan option to unlock your phone, use it in conjunction with a four digit passcode to increase security;
  • Whenever browsing the web using free WiFi in a public place, use a VPN service to prevent thieves from monitoring your Internet activity; and
  • Always have your iPhone passcode lock activated and consider using the auto-lock feature to avoid accidentally leaving your phone unlocked in a public place.

(“Protect Your Privacy on Your iPhone" was written by Sam Imandoust, Esq., CIPP, CIPA. He serves as a legal analyst for the Identity Theft Resource Center.)

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.