Securing Your iPhone
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The home-key security flaw in the Apple iPhone 3G has met with a mixed reaction. In case you missed it, this flaw allows personal data, including e-mail, SMS messages and contact details to be accessed on some locked and passcode-protected iPhones with just a few simple key taps. To some people this was evidence of a major security oversight by Apple, while to others it was a non-issue with a trivial workaround. If it has you worried, keep reading; we'll show you how to secure your iPhone.
If you'd like more information about the home-key security flaw, check out the link.
Wherever you stand on the issue, the fact is that as gadget of the moment, the spotlight is firmly on the iPhone and likely to remain there for the time being. This, along with its sheer desirability, makes the phone a prime target for security attack attempts, so if you own an iPhone, how concerned should you be? And what exactly should you do to make your iPhone as secure as possible?
Basic security
Among the first things you should consider doing when you get your new iPhone is implementing certain basic security measures.
SIM PIN protection: This is the most basic of security restrictions, requiring anybody turning on your phone from cold to enter a four-digit code before it will start up. This not only protects your phone, but also the SIM itself, should anybody attempt to use it in another phone. Any phone without SIM PIN protection is vulnerable to compromise, since a thief only has to turn it off and on again or remove and replace the battery to gain total access to the data and functions.
To enable SIM PIN protection:
1. Open the settings application.
2. Tap the phone icon.
3. Select SIM PIN.
4. Tap Change PIN.
5. Tap in the current four-digit PIN.
6. Tap in the new four-digit PIN, and re-enter for confirmation.
Next: More Security Basics >>
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