Take a photo – it will last longer. But do you really want it to?
By now practically everyone has heard about the hacker that managed to acquire private, compromising celebrity photos and post them to distribute on websites. While all the details are still being worked out, the most common theory is that the hacker managed to get to these photos through the use of brute force software and an exploit or hack in iCloud, Apple’s iPhone cloud service.
This particular episode in questionable internet security is making news because of the enraged celebrity targets and the wildfire pace at which the images are making their rounds, but this sort of data breach could happen to anyone. And until Apple and investigators figure out and announce just what happened, users are left trying to keep things secure as possible.
What can you do to keep your data secure?
Strong Passwords
Email is inherently unsecure. Do you really need a backup of all of your emails sent up to a vulnerable cloud too? It’s likely your work email is backed up by your employer and usually personal email providers backup their own email servers, so don’t allow your email to be copied to a cloud too. If you truly need an important email for reference later? Go old school: print it out and store it in a safe or forward it to an encrypted email server for storage.
Photo Stream
Cloud storage is not inherently the most secure way to keep data, and it’s also known as a potential target for hackers. Incidentally, if you have an Apple phone or tablet, Photo Stream may be active and you might not even know it.
You can disable the Photo Stream by doing the following: Go to “Settings,” then “Storage & Backup” and stop the “Photo Stream” feature. This will stop all your photos from automatically uploading to the cloud.
Android and other phones have their own means of cloud backups to check into as well. Some require setting up manually, and others may prompt you to activate them. Read the messages you are given, and check into your settings from time to time.
2-Step Verification
Although it may not have helped in the case of the iCloud hack, 2-Step Verification increases security in devices, and many services including Apple, Twitter, and Gmail have it. 2-Step verification requires that after the user enters a password, you go through an additional step of verification (such as entering a code you are texted) on new devices.
Precautions
Without blaming the victim, keeping compromising photos off easily accessible devices warrants mentioning as well. While phones make it easy to take and send a quick snapshot, this is not inherently secure. And on the user-end, even if your own tech is secure remember that any photo you send to someone else could end up on the wilds of the internet.
If you want to take those potentially compromising photos? A camera may be a better option.
Subscribe To Our E-Newsletter
Recent Articles
- The Great Phishing Scamdemic
Have you been noticing an abundance of suspicious looking emails flooding y…
- Serious Risks to Consider When Socializing Distantly
In today’s crazy world of staying home instead of visiting friends, we’ve a…
- Ten Tips on How to be Successful While Working From Home Dur
As a web developer of over 15 years, I’ve spent a lot of time working remot…
Recommended Posts
- Facebook Password Reset Scam!
- Why Is It Important To Know Who Owns Your Representative? One Example: Glass-Steagall
- Calendar
- How to Survive a Joe Job
- Take A Stand Against PIPA & SOPA Acts
- Court Notice Scam
- Ways to Move Up in Search Engine Results
- Why is the website broken only for me?
- Help Alexa and Siri Find Your Business During Voice Search
- UWUA Local 304
Upcoming Events
Social Media
- Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world... Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world faces with cyber censorship is what is going on in China. The government blocks many websit ...
- EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the... EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the judicial redress act, and no true protection for businesses
- Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of... Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of sharing something on social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, that was copyrighted and not you ...
- How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android
- Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a... Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a good idea to stay safe while downloading. You must take precautions, learn where to download, and do your research.
- Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions –... Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions – struggle trying to keep their member data updated and accessible. Without a centralized dat ...
- Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from... Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from going to bed, disrupt our sleep with constant sounds, and hurt our health with their blue light.
- All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera,... All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari, you may have a hard time choosing one. While all of them have their ups and downs you ...
- Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready... Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready you need to change that today. Two main ways to make your site mobile is to either have a mobile sub-site or ...
- Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track... Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track Online Act of 2015’
- Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website... Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website Usability -Improve Your SEO -Social Media
- Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy... Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy the Christmas festive technology and how you can share some yourself.
- How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to... How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to be secure, and best practices to keep yourself safe.
- Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of... Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of paper newsletters has become much more popular. While deciding to do your newsletter does have its downsi ...
- Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States... Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States will be meeting on December 17th to create a new agreement for the Safe Harbor. They plan to conclude this agree ...
-
- The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on... The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on November 13th many dead, wounded, or stranded. Many companies have made use of the Internet in a time of crisis to ...
- Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website... Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website traffic if done the correct way. There are many different ways and places to advertise online
- Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data... Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data to find trends and effects or decisions or events. It can also compare old data with new data using a ...
- The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is... The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is spying on American citizens using online surveillance. As an American, this invades our Freedom of Speech and our Ri ...
- BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc.... BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc. MonaRaeBeads.etsy.com ★ || CHARACTER DESIGN REFERENCES | キャラク& ...
- Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services... Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services have a spam sorting feature built in, not all will be sorted properly. Scams can look like they came from a friend ...
- Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th... Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th in San Francisco announcing many new products such as the Nexus 6P and 5X, the new Chromecast 2, Chromecast Aud ...
- Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and... Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and many more (Learn more about Malware types ) There are some signs that your phone is being ...