Vratislav Holub Computer and smartphone security is constantly improving. Although today's technologies are relatively secure and security cracks do exist Apple in most cases, they try to fix it immediately, so even so, it cannot be guaranteed that your device will not be hacked. Attackers can use several methods to do this, most often relying on the inattention of users and their ignorance. However, the US government agency National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has now made itself known, warning of possible risks and publishing 10 practical tips to prevent these problems. So let's look at them together.
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Update OS and applications
As we already stated in the very introduction, (not only) Apple tries to fix all known security holes in a timely manner through updates. From this point of view, it is clear that in order to achieve maximum security, it is necessary that you always have the most up-to-date operating system, which ensures almost the greatest protection against the mentioned errors, which could otherwise be exploited for the benefit of attackers. In the case of an iPhone or iPad, you can update the system via Settings > General > Software Update.
Be wary of strangers' e-mails
If you receive an email from an unknown sender in your inbox, you should always be cautious. Nowadays, cases of so-called phishing are becoming more and more common, where an attacker pretends to be a verified authority and tries to lure you into giving out sensitive information.mace - for example, payment card numbers and others - or they can also abuse users' trust and directly hack their devices.
Privacy in iOS 15
Beware of suspicious links and attachments
Although the security of today's systems is at a completely different level than it was, for example, ten years ago, this does not mean that you are 100% safe on the Internet. In some cases, all you have to do is open an e-mail, link or attachment and suddenly your device can be attacked. It is therefore no wonder that it is constantly recommended that you do not open any of the mentioned items when it comes to emails and messages from unknown senders. You could really screw yourself up.
This method is again related to the aforementioned phishing. Attackers often pretend to be, for example, a bank, telephone or state company, which can gain the aforementioned trust. The entire email may seem serious, but for example, the link may lead to an unoriginal website with a practically identical design. Then, all it takes is a moment of inattention and you are suddenly handing over your login details and other information to the other party.mace.
Check the links
We touched on this point already in the previous point. Attackers can send you a link that looks completely normal at first glance. All it takes is one thrown letter and clicking on it redirects you to the attacker's website. Moreover, this practice is not complicated at all and can be easily abused. Internet browsers in the vast majority of cases use so-called sans-serif fonts, which means that, for example, a small letter L can be replaced by a capital I without you even noticing it at first glance.
If you come across a normal-looking link from an unknown sender, you should definitely not click on it. Instead, it's much safer to just open your browser and go to the site the traditional way. Additionally, in the native Mail app on iPhone and iPad, you can hold your finger on a link to see a preview of where the link actually goes.
Restart your device from time to time
You might not expect the US National Cyber Security Center to recommend restarting your device from time to time. However, this procedure brings with it several interesting benefits. Not only will you clean up your temporary memory and theoretically increase performance, but at the same time you can get rid of dangerous software that could theoretically be sleeping somewhere in said temporary memory. This is because some types of malware "keep alive" through temporary memory. Of course, how often you restart your device is entirely up to you, as it depends on several factors. NCSC recommends at least once a week.
Protect yourself with a password
Nowadays, it is extremely easy to secure your device. We have sophisticated systems at our disposal such as Touch ID a Face ID, which makes it much harder to crack. The same is true for Android phones, which mostly rely on a fingerprint reader. At the same time, by securing your iPhone or iPad with a passcode lock and biometric authentication, you automatically encrypt all the data on your device. In theory, it is practically impossible to access this data without (guessing) the password.
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Adam Kos However, devices are not unbreakable. With professional equipment and the right knowledge, practically anything is possible. Although you may never encounter a similar threat, as you are unlikely to be the target of sophisticated cyberattacks, it is still worth considering whether it would be better to strengthen your security somehow. In such a case, it is recommended to choose a longer alphanumeric password, which can easily take years to crack – unless you set your name or the string “ 123456 ” as the code.
Have physical control over the device
Hacking a device remotely can be quite tricky. But it is worse when an attacker gains physical access to, for example, a given phone, in which case it may take only a few moments for him to hack into it or plant malware. For this reason, the government agency recommends that you keep an eye on your device and, for example, make sure the device is locked when you put it on a table, in your pocket, or in your bag.
The National Cyber Security Center also adds that if, for example, an unknown person asks you if they can call you in an emergency, you can still help them. It is just necessary to be extra careful and, for example, ask them to dial the recipient's phone number yourself - and then give up your phone. For example, such iPhone It can also be locked during an active call. In this case, just turn on speaker mode, lock the device with the side button, and then switch back to the earpiece.
Use a trusted VPN
One of the best ways to stay private and secure online is to use a VPN service. Although a VPN service can encrypt your connection fairly reliably and mask your activity from your internet provider and the servers you visit, it is extremely important that you use a verified and trustworthy service. There is a small catch. In this case, you can actually hide your online activity, IP address and location from almost all parties, but the VPN provider has access to this data. However, reputable services guarantee that no information ismacThey do not store any information about their users. For this reason, it is also important to decide whether you will pay extra for a verified provider or try a more reliable company that provides VPN services for free, for example.
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Deactivate location services
Informacand location data are extremely valuable across a variety of industries. They can be a great tool for marketers, for example, in terms of targeting ads, but they are also of course of interest to cybercriminals. This problem is partly solved by VPN services, which can mask your IP address and location, but unfortunately not from everyone. You probably have several applications on your iPhone with access to location services. These are appApps can then get your phone's precise location. You can remove their access in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
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Pavel Jelič Use common sense
As we have already indicated several times, practically no device is completely resistant to hacking. However, this does not mean that it is something too simple and common. Thanks to today's possibilities, it is relatively easy to defend against these cases, but the user must be cautious and use common sense. For this reason, you should be careful with your sensitive information.macAnd of course, don't click on every link that a self-proclaimed Nigerian prince sends to your email.
Amaya Tomanová 
Jan Vajdák 
Jiří Filip 
