- iPhone passcodes prove insufficient to protect your personal data
- Thieves now know how to crack four- or six-digit codes to access their victims’ personal and financial information
- Alternatives exist – and are even to be adopted urgently
As everyone’s digital life has taken root in smartphones, the security of our personal and financial data has become a major concern. Unfortunately, even if iPhones are considered more secure in this area, there are still gaping flaws that can jeopardize all the information stored on the device.
Our colleagues from Wall Street Journal take the example of Reyhan Ayas, a 31-year-old New York economist whose iPhone 13 Pro Max was stolen leaving a bar. Within minutes, she found herself unable to access her Apple account and all the data associated with it, including her photos, contacts, and notes. Over the next 24 hours, approximately $10,000 was stolen from his bank account.
4 or 6 digit codes are too easy to spy on, even from afar
His case is unfortunately not isolated and similar stories are multiplying in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The thieves’ technique is as simple as it is effective: they observe iPhone owners typing their lock code, even Lin then steal their phone and take over their digital life. Of course most users usually use Face ID or Touch ID on their iPhone.
But there is always a moment where it bugs: the user is then forced to enter the 4 or 6 digit code in front of everyone, all on a numeric keypad with large buttons clearly visible, even from a distance. That’s why protecting our private digital life and, above all, our sensitive financial information requires a proactive approach and effective security tools – certainly more than those offered by default on the iPhone.
A first measure is therefore necessary: opt instead for an alphanumeric code that is much more difficult to spy on. In addition to the code, absolutely avoid taking photos of sensitive documents giving access to financial data. These documents can easily help thieves to empty your bank accounts once they have unlocked your device You must also strictly activate two-factor authentication via password manager (but never by SMS) as soon as it is available . This extra degree of security generally makes it more difficult for thieves.
Enabling two-factor authentication is especially important for accounts such as online banking, cryptocurrency apps, and email accounts. The latter generally receive password reset emails from many accounts. We also strongly recommend using one of the best password managers available in 2023 such as 1Password and Dashlane to secure access to your online accounts.
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These tools make it possible to generate and store unique and complex passwords for each service, thus reducing the chances of being hacked in the event of smartphone theft or data leakage. Additionally, these password managers often incorporate additional features, such as secure password sharing and data leak monitoring, to further enhance the security of your most sensitive data.
