Apple articles from Ghost Path

Ever feel like you’re not getting the whole story?

Well, we’ve done some digging and it turns out that there’s quite a lot that the big dogs (namely Google and Apple) are NOT telling you about the security of your mobile device.

According to a recent Unisys study on workplace mobile habits, it was found that many business users access important corporate data using non-secure methods, like public WiFi. Plus, an increasing number of employees are accessing their workplace’s business applications on their personal devices, putting both themselves, sensitive data and their company at risk.

And worse, most people don’t give a second thought to the security of their devices before logging on at a WiFi hotspot or checking their email using mobile data.

Here are some enlightening facts about our mobile device habits & security:

By 2020 there will be 50 billion (yes, with a b) internet-connected devices
51% of organizations have experience data loss in the last year from non-secure device usage
32% of Americans say they prefer to use simple passwords; a practice that puts you & your data at risk
In a recent media company security breach, it was uncovered that 3,000 users had the password “123456” and 2,000 users used “password” as their password

In order to better protect yourself, your data & your mobile device, get a VPN (virtual private network), which will encrypt your data and protect your privacy no matter what device you use to connect to the Internet.

This post was inspired by this infographic.

Do you ever wonder how secure your passwords are?

In light of the recent celebrity phone hacking scandal which resulted in revealing pictures of 100 celebs being posted and shared online and via social media, you’re probably wondering how secure your own passwords are.

The hacker, in this case, “took advantage of a security flaw in Apple’s online backup service, iCloud. Many online services lock someone out after several unsuccessful attempts to log in, but not Apple’s Find My iPhone app and iCloud. That has been changed by Apple in the aftermath of the nude celebrity photo scandal. But with unlimited guesses, a computer program can generate and test thousands of potential passwords until an account is entered. It is called a brute force attack. The tendency of many people to choose weak passwords and to use the same password for each service helped. Once a celebrity’s Find My iPhone app password is discovered, the same password often can access iCloud. People might never know their accounts have been compromised.” (quote from CNN.com)

With that in mind, if your passwords resemble something along the lines of “123456” or “password” or you use the same password for all sites, you’re putting yourself unnecessarily at risk.

Smart hackers are adept at breaking codes in little time, and when you use a simple or common password, you’re opening yourself up to be the victim of online crime.

Here is the actual time it take a hacker to break a password:

Lowercase, 6 characters = 5 minutes
Lowercase, 9 characters = 2 months
Uppercase & Lowercase, 6 characters = 5.5 hours
Uppercase & Lowercase, 9 characters = 88 years
6 characters with numbers & symbols = 8.5 days
9 characters with numbers & symbols = 19,985 years

As you can see, adding a length and complexity to your passwords pays off BIG TIME.

Here’s a little tip, instead of using simple words for your passwords, use phrases. For example: “Time flies when you’re having fun!” becomes “TFlyzwhenurhavinFUN!”

A password like that won’t be cracked for millennia!

And, be sure to use a different password or password variation for every site with a secure log-in.

For extra protection, look into a Virtual Private Network to protect your data and privacy on all your devices, anywhere in the world! Read more HERE.

For the full scoop on the celebrity phone hacking scandal, watch the video below.

This post was inspired by an element of this infographic.

Tag: Apple

What The Big Dogs Are NOT Telling You About The Security Of Your Mobile Device

The Actual Time It Takes Hackers To Crack a Password + Celeb Phone Hacking