Apple Inc. said on Wednesday that its iCloud service would soon have a better way for customers to lock down images and notes. Also, when a user logs in from a new device, the company plans to ask for a physical security key.
The company says that the upcoming options and another security measure for Apple’s iMessage chat program are aimed explicitly at high-profile people who are often hacked. These are well-known people like celebrities, journalists, activists, politicians, and others.
The company that makes the iPhone said it didn’t know of any hacks into the iCloud servers or iMessage exchanges, but there are more and more attempts to do so.
Users in the United States will be able to use the free Advanced Data Protection feature for iCloud storage by the end of the year. If Apple Find My iPhone is on, and a user needs to remember their password, Apple Find My iPhone is on. If this happens, Apple can’t help users retrieve their photos, notes, voice memos, and about 20 other data types. The following year, it would start to grow in other countries.
The following year, Apple users should be able to require that a security fob be plugged into a new device before using their Apple account. Alphabet Inc.’s Google (GOOGL.O), a competitor, already supports these hardware keys, which are certified by the industry group FIDO and cost about $25 each.
In the following year, iMessage users who use the new Contact Key Verification feature will get alerts about unrecognized devices that might be listening in on their conversations. In 2017, Apple added this feature, and users can check how safe their connection is by matching security codes by hand. Platforms for encrypted messaging, such as Signal, have the same features.
