RED ALERT
‘Turn it on’ iPhone owners told as expert reveals two settings changes to avoid ‘stolen phone’ nightmare
Not turning the features on could leave you broke
IF you don't want your iPhone data stolen then turning on two settings could help.
Cybersecurity firm F Secure, based in Helsinki, warned in a new blog post that bad actors are constantly trying to steal unlocked iPhones.
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"If you haven’t ever lost your smartphone or had it stolen, it’s likely you know someone who has," the reads.
"iPhone theft is a lucrative business for criminals when devices are unlocked," it continued.
In such instances, the scary part isn't that you lost your device, but that your data and information could fall into the wrong hands.
Having your accounts accessed could leave you penniless, or even in trouble with the law depending on actions taken by threat actors.
To help protect your data if your phone gets stolen, F Secure shared two settings you need to enable now.
STOLEN DEVICE PROTECTION
Apple in recent months released a new tool called Stolen Device Protection.
Stolen Device Protection "adds a layer of security when your iPhone is away from familiar locations, such as home or work," Apple's website reads.
It works by requiring biometric authentication for certain actions like accessing stored passwords or credit cards.
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SECURITY DELAY
A second feature of Stolen Device Protection you need to enable, F Secure said, is Security Delay.
If your iPhone is stolen, Security delay prevents a thief from performing critical operations.
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The tool does this by enforcing a one-hour waiting period on security actions like changing your Apple ID password.
After the hour is up, users are required to perform a second Face ID or Touch ID authentication.
During this period users can mark their devices as lost and ensure their Apple account is secure.
HOW TO TURN ON STOLEN DEVICE PROTECTION AND SECURITY DELAY
Stolen Device Protection is available with iOS 17.3 or later and must be turned on before the device is lost or stolen.
You can turn on Stolen Device Protection in Settings:
- Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your device passcode.
- Tap Stolen Device Protection, then turn Stolen Device Protection on or off.
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Once you have done that, choose "Always" under Require Security Delay.
By default, the additional security measures are required only when your iPhone is away from familiar locations.
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