MacMost Now 746: Securing Your iCloud Account

A few simple techniques can help you secure your iCloud account and prevent someone else from gaining access to it. Use secure passwords, set up better security questions and answers, make sure your linked accounts are also secure, and be sure to back up your Mac!

Comments: 8 Responses to “MacMost Now 746: Securing Your iCloud Account”

    Antrim
    12 years ago

    Great and valuable tips. The whole security thing is getting much more complicated.

    Tony Biegler
    12 years ago

    After three unsuccessful log-on attempts, websites should block access for 24 hours. It would be difficult for a hacker to guess the right password and security question in just three attempts, and what hacker would want to try day after day after day!

      12 years ago

      True. But you are assuming that it is one hacker trying to access one account from one computer. In reality, a malicious hacker would try accessing thousands of accounts, using thousands of password, from thousands of different computers (zombie bots). If they break into only a few of those, that's a success. You just want to make sure your account isn't one of those few.

      Donald Keys
      12 years ago

      Tony, that method could also be used against you! A malicious person could know your email address and ON PURPOSE try to enter 3 bad passwords and LOCK YOUR ACCOUNT day after day after day…

        12 years ago

        Typically that only locks out the account from that IP address. So it is something that should be in place. But you shouldn't rely on it. It is no substitute for a strong password or something like the 2-factor authentication that Google uses.

    Dan
    12 years ago

    I am running Snow Leopard and I do have the choice of creating my own security question. Is this option only in Lion?

    In Snow Leopard I have a choice of maybe 6 different questions to choose from.

      12 years ago

      It shouldn't matter which OS you are using. Maybe you are looking in the wrong area? Either way, you can always use any question and still give a random set of words as an answer.

    Dan
    12 years ago

    TYPO... Last post. It should read: I do NOT the choice of creating my own.....

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