Apple Adds Two-Factor Authentication for iCloud
September 18, 2014
Amid a nude picture leak scandal that exposed hundreds of private photos of female celebrities through an alleged iCloud breach, Apple has extended the two-factor authentication feature to its iCloud backup service, according to PC World.
In an email to Apple ID account users, the company announced that, in addition to protecting Apple ID account information, two-step verification is also available to secure data stored and updated using iCloud.
Each time users sign in to iCloud from a new device, they will need to verify their identity by entering the account password and a 4-digit verification code, sent to another trusted device. To set up this extra security step, users need to:
- Sign in with the Apple ID.
- Go to Password and Security.
- Under Two-Step Verification, select Get Started and follow the onscreen instructions.
Users will receive the verification code using either SMS or Find My iPhone, which needs to be inserted to verify their identity. More details are available here.
Also, beginning October 1, app-specific passwords will be required for third-party apps that don`t support two-factor authentication (such as Outlook or Thunderbird) to access the service, Apple said.
Another Apple security tweak is an email notification that informs users each time their account has been accessed.
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Alexandra started writing about IT at the dawn of the decade - when an iPad was an eye-injury patch, we were minus Google+ and we all had Jobs.
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