How your employees can protect data better on iCloud

A few years ago, one of the biggest security breaches involved celebrities, such as Jennifer Lawrence, having pictures and other sensitive data stolen from their Apple devices. This led to a lot of people questioning the security of iCloud.

Whilst the data breach in question impacted A-listers, this does not mean that everyone else is immune from a potential attack and the devastation that comes with it.

Applications on your mobile device can also lead to data being at risk if they are not secure. Some applications have access to your mobile information, and so if your mobile is linked to your business, this could lead a to a security risk. Making sure that any app you invest in has gone through secure mobile application testing can help to keep your device safe from potential attacks, but this is only the beginning.

ICloud security and mobile security is now becoming one of the main features on IT security courses, as a lot of businesses deploy iPhones or operate a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. This is something all retail stores need to be concerned with. These devices carry sensitive business information, contact details, emails, images and such like, and so if they were to get into the wrong hands there could be serious repercussions. So, let’s take a look at some top tips for protecting your data on iCloud at your retail business…

What is backed up on store devices?

It is advisable to take control of what is backed up to iCloud. When setting up your iPhone it is likely that people at your business would have opted to sign up with iCloud, especially as there was a promise of 5GB extra storage. Nevertheless, you don’t actually need to store everything on iCloud. Instead, you can head to settings and then tap on iCloud and you will see a list of apps that back up data using iCloud.

You can toggle off apps that you don’t want to use iCloud on. Apps like Mail and Photos may contain sensitive info, and therefore it is likely that you will want to consider turning iCloud off for those. If you need to have iCloud on for your Mail, make sure you use a trace email analyzer product so that you can determine where all of your emails come from, meaning you don’t open anything suspicious. This is something you need to get all workers to do if they use their phone for both business and pleasure. Sit down and go through with them what should be off and what shouldn’t.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Another tip is to get all employees to turn on two-factor authentication on your phone. After all, imagine if their phone ended up in the wrong hands! This is a process that is advised for all devices, not just those made by Apple. It means that you will need to go through two steps to verify who you are.

In regards to Apple devices, you will need to enter a four-digit password. Once you have done this you will then be sent a verification code to your phone, which you will need to input. To turn two-factor authentication on when using an iPhone or iPad you simply need to go to My Apple ID – which can be accessed via the Apple website – and then click on manage your Apple ID. Once you have signed in click on Select Password and Security. You will see a section for two-step verification. All you need to do is click on ‘Get Started’ and then you will be able to follow the steps that appear on your screen.

Teach your employees how to create a strong password

There is an unbelievable number of people all over the world who do not have effective passwords in place. Did you know that the following are the five most common passwords used around the world…?

•      123456
•      Password
•      12345678
•      Qwerty
•      Abc123

Other popular passwords include ‘iloveyou’, ‘letmein’, ‘111111’, ‘monkey’, ‘princess’ and ‘sunshine’. So, how do you create a good password? You should use a variety of lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, and special characters. You should make the password as long as possible and try not to use the same password twice. You should also avoid using complete words, try and make them a random mix. Finally, make sure your security questions aren’t easy to guess. You’d actually be better off answering them incorrectly!