Our Privacy and Security Are More Important, and More at Risk, Than Ever

Executive Summary

Most of the technology we use ignores our privacy rights and assumes permission to take or monitor our data for their own profit.

With the right tools and information, we can protect our data and ourselves from unscrupulous parties.

Apple is one of the few companies that respects our privacy, and provides a plethora of options to enhance our security and privacy. We need to take advantage of these options.

We have new tools available to enhance the quality of the passwords we use.

Learn what to do if your iPhone, or another device, is lost or stolen.

We can take addtional precautions, like securing our WiFi networks and online accounts.

We don’t have to accept an overwhelmed inbox. There are ways to control SPAM and filter out most of the BS.

Be prepared for the inevitable scams, such as phishing and fraudulent invoices and bills.

Contact us if you have any questions or would like help protecting yourself.

In Today’s Technology Environment, our Personal Information Is Likely To Be Abused

Given that most companies prioritize monetizing our data over safeguarding our privacy, relying on them carries inherent risks. The information they gather about us can be used to sell, mislead, and/or manipulate us. And, for many companies, we’re the product. Especially when a service is free, or ad supported, their business model is designed around profiting from our data. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it does create conflicts of interest, and the potential for misuse and exploitation.

The services we use often ignore our privacy — scanning our emails, uploading our contacts or photos, tracking what we shop for, and more. This happens without our explicit permission. Although there may be a way to opt-out, it’s often a hidden setting. They assume permission.

It’s important to understand the risks and take the appropriate precautions. We lock our doors at night to protect our physical home—securing our technology is the digital version of that. We don’t have to be paranoid, but we do want to be informed and intentional. With the right tools and information, we can —

Protect Our Data

Our devices and apps collect massive amounts of data: where we go, who we communicate with, what we search for, and even what our voice sounds like. If this data isn’t secured, it can be:

Used for identity theft or scams
Sold to advertisers or data brokers
Leaked in data breaches, often without our knowledge

Prevent Financial Loss

Cybercriminals employ various tactics, including phishing, ransomware, and hacking, to acquire and misuse our data.

Hijack accounts or install ransomware
Trick you into scams via phishing or fake apps
Steal bank credentials or credit card numbers

Maintain Control of Our Devices

Hackers can remotely access or control our devices if they're not secure. That includes:

Listening via microphones
Watching us through webcams
Using our devices for criminal activity (like launching attacks on others)

Avoid Manipulation

Large-scale data breaches have become increasingly prevalent, and without adequate cybersecurity measures, your information can be compromised or sold, often without your knowledge. When your data is exposed, companies or malicious actors can:

Target us with manipulative ads
Feed us disinformation tailored to our biases
Influence our political views or buying choices

Safeguard Our Freedom and Rights

Privacy is essential for freedom of thought and expression. When your data is not secure, you may self-censor or be manipulated by algorithms that profit from your information; stifling creativity and free speech. In some countries or contexts, weak privacy can lead to:

Discrimination based on personal data
Surveillance by governments or employers
Censorship or punishment for free expression
What we need to do is use the tools at our disposal to make sure our devices and our accounts are as private and secure as possible.

Why Apple?

I prefer Apple products and services because Apple respects our privacy better than most technology companies.

Apple does have a lot of information about us, and they do use it to provide their services, but they don’t sell it, and they give us tools to prevent even them from seeing it. They’re not perfect, but they are the safest choice.

Additionally, Apple has made privacy and security such a cornerstone of their brand, that if they were to violate that trust, it could fatally damage their brand. They have a strong incentive to walk the talk.

Securing Your Apple Devices

Apple provides a plethora of settings to enhance our privacy and security. Here's an overview of these settings. You’ll want to review these settings on every device. This can be overwhelming. If technology is not your thing, you may want to have a friend, family member, or IT person help you with the specifics. Or, if you’re in Arizona, give me a call, I’d love to help.

Secure Your Apple Account

Make Sure Your Account Can Be Verified

Use your full legal name (as it appears on your driver's license) and real birthdate. Apple will require these to verify your account in the event the account is compromised.

Use a Secure, Yet Memorable, Password

This is one of the few passwords you need to remember. See the sidebar on generating secure passwords.

Setup Recovery Contact(s) or a Key

I recommend at least 3 recovery contacts. For those at higher risk, a recovery key is more secure, but less convenient to manage, and easier to lose. (Be careful using a recovery key. If you lose it, you could get locked out of your account forever.) Learn More...

Consider Legacy Contact(s)

Legacy contacts are the people who you need or want to have access to your data after you pass. Apple’s implementation has limitations—it may make more sense to share your device and Apple ID passwords with your estate. Learn More...

Secure Your Devices

Have a Good Passcode or Password

For an iPhone, iPad, or Watch, use a 6 digit code. For even higher security, use an alphanumeric password. Limit repeating digits, and avoid anything that can be easily guessed — don’t use names, significant dates, addresses, or phone numbers. On the Mac, use a full alphanumeric password that is at least 13 characters long — with a mix of upper, lower, symbols, and numbers.

Use Touch ID or Face ID

Not only does this add convenience, it allows us to use more secure passwords, because we no longer need to enter the passwords or passcode every time.

Enable Stolen Device Protection

This buys you time to lock your devices and account. The main feature is a requirement for using Touch ID or Face ID, and an one hour delay before any critical changes can be made. With Stolen Device Protection Enabled, the passcode alone no longer allows critical changes to your device or account.

Setup your Emergency Medical Information

Many people are concerned about privacy and avoid putting there medical info in their phone. I understand the concern. However, if you were in a situation where you required emergency medical services, and were unconscious, or otherwise unable to communicate, emergency services personnel know how to lookup your information. Having that critical info in your phone could be the difference between life or death.

Secure Your Data

Enable Advanced Data Protection

This will encrypt most data stored in iCloud, preventing even Apple from having access. Make sure you have recovery contacts or a recovery key setup first.

Enable FileVault

If you have a Mac, make sure FileVault is enabled.

Use End to End Encryption Where Possible

If you sync data, make sure it’s end-to-end encrypted (E2E). If you are using iCloud, and have Advanced Data Protection On, your data is end-to-end encrypted. If you’re using another service, check with the vendor to see if E2E is offered.

Review Your Privacy & Security Settings

Minimize Sharing Your Location

Review your Location Services permissions. Only share your location with people and apps you trust. In most cases, limit the permission to While Using the App, and turn off precise location if it’s not necessary.

Minimize Tracking

Under Tracking, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, and any any Apps in the list that already have permission. There is no need whatsoever for any App to track you across devices and the internet. It’s an outright invasion of privacy.

Limit Data Permissions

Work through the entire list of possible permissions, limiting the access each app has to your data. Only allow access to the degree necessary.

A Few Additional Settings to Consider

I recommend turning off Journaling Suggestions.

I allow all of the Analytics & Improvement options, but if you would prefer not to share anonymous analytical data with Apple, feel free to turn these off.

I do not allow Apple to present personalized ads. If I have to see ads, I prefer they be uninteresting, and easy to ignore.

Turn on App Privacy Report. This logs all requests of private information on your device. This iuseful for later diagnostics.

Keep your Devices Up-To-Date

Promptly install security updates for your devices and software.

 

The New Security Paradigm

Are You at Higher Risk?

Certain people may be at higher risk. If you’re a public figure or involved in politics, journalism, or activism, you might want to use the higher security options.

List...

These higher security settings increase the secuirty of your devices, but it does come with cost in convenience. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons and decide if the higher security is worthwhile.

Additional Precautions

Now that your devices are secure, it’s important to secure the rest of your technology environment.

Secure Your Network

Make sure your internet and wifi equipment are up-to-date, support all modern secuirity features, and that those features are enabled.

Have a strong WiFi Passphrase. A strong passphrase is critical for a WiFi network, as it is not just the password, but also the encryption key. Your network probably has an insecure password. I recommend a WiFi passphrase that is at least 21 characters long, and a mix of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols. It can be based on a phrase to make it easier to remember. Example

I also recommend having a guest network. This should also have a strong password. I recommend using it for guests and visitors, as well as any devices that don’t require access to the main network, such as the smart TV’s and many smart home devices. FYI: It's now possible to create a QR code for a WiFi network to make it easier for guests to connect.

Consider an IoT Network. IoT stands for Internet of Things, and refers to everyday items that are WiFi enabled, such as smart home devices, TVs, appliances, etc. These items are notorious for having bad, if any, security. Placing these devices on an isolated network dedicated to only non-critical devices, protects each device, as well as the main network, from being compromised. having these on a dedicated network, also protects your guests. I would only recommend this if you have more than a few such devices. FYI: Smart TV’s are notoriously for bad security and eavesdropping. I highly recommend not connecting smart TV’s to the internet. Add an Apple TV. It’s easy to use and will protect your privacy.

Be careful with untrusted devices — some devices may share more data about you than you are comfortable with — be judicious with whom you trust. Devices with a camera or microphone that also connect to the internet could potentially eavesdrop on you home. I only buy such devices from trusted brands.

Secure Your Online Accounts

Use a secure passwords for every online account. See the sidebar on generating secure passwords.

Use a password manager, such as iCloud Keychain. It’s built in and simplifies creating, storing, and filling in passwords and passkeys. It even allows you to share certain passwords with others on an as needed basis.

Fix all of your insecure passwords. An insecure account will eventually get compromised. Go through all of your passwords and update every account that is not secure. Yes, this is a lot of work, but it is worth it.

Use passkeys where available, and two-factor authentication (2FA) if not. When using 2FA, use an authenticator App if that option is available. It is quicker, and more secure that texted (SMS) codes. iCloud Keychain works as an authenticator app. It can provide the saved password, and the authentication code.

Consider password sharing. If you have accounts that others need to access, you can create a group for those accounts and passwords, and share that group with everyone that needs access.

Protect Yourself from SPAM

You do not need to put up with an abundance of SPAM. It is possible to minimize it. I get only a couple per day. But, it takes some care and effort. Here are some guidelines:

Be Judicious with your eMail Address. Don’t give it out to just anyone. Only give it out to people or businesses you trust.

Consider having multiple eMail addresses. I have 5 main email address. In addition to my main address, I have one specifically for vendors, one for personal eMails, one for tech-support, and another for notifications. This allows me to use filters to automatically sort and file my messages as they arrive. This helps keep my inbox free of clutter,

When dealing with an untrusted or unknown entity, use a disposable email address. Apple offers Hide My eMail. This feature creates a unique email address specific to that entity. If the entity turns out to be undesirable or untrustworthy, you can delete that email address and never be bothered again. If you start getting SPAM at that address, you’ll know that the entity sold your info and that they are less trustworthy.

If you are overwhelmed by SPAM, consider getting a new eMail address and/or implementing professional quality SPAM filters. The system I use uses sophisticated algorithms to catch most SPAM. It also allows me to block or allow specific senders. I’ve seen situations where it has reduced SPAM from 500 a day to just a few.

Creating Secure Passwords

Unfortunately, we still need passwords. Passkeys are coming, but they aren’t everywhere yet.

In the meantime, we need to make sure our passwords are secure. The first, and most important rule of thumb is to never reuse a password. Every password, for every account, should be unique.

The best passwords are random characters that mix upper and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols, and are at least 16 characters long. Your devices can generate these for you automatically. Apple’s devices will remember them, and sync then between all of your devices. If necessary, you can securely share them with others. I use these types of passwords in every case where the system can remember the password for me.

For the few cases where I need to remember the password, I start with a memorable word or phrase, then mix it up with upper and lowercase letter, numbers, and symbols. Again, these should be at least 16 characters long. Don’t use names, significant dates, addresses, phone numbers, or any other personal information that could be researched or guessed. As an example, lets that the phrase “let’s hit the road” and turn it into a secure password: let’sH!Tth3r0ad>

Be Prepared for Scams

Now that your devices and technology environment are secure, it’s important to protect yourself from scams by following these key strategies:

Be Cautious with Communications

Beware of messages that sound urgent, high-pressure, or use scare tactics. The scammers use this to get us to react before thinking.

Be skeptical of email, messages, and/or phone offers, as well as unexpected invoices, shipping issues, toll bills, and/or government related emails and texts.

Avoid opening emails or clicking links from unknown or suspicious senders. Use spam filters to reduce phishing attempts.

Do not respond to messages asking for personal or financial information. Instead, call the sender using a verified phone number to confirm legitimacy.

Block unwanted calls and texts, especially those impersonating government agencies or trusted businesses.

Recognize Suspicious Payment Requests

Refuse to pay via untraceable methods such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

Question any payment request that seems unusual or complicated.

Protect Personal and Financial Information

Never share sensitive details like Social Security numbers, bank account info, or passwords in response to unsolicited calls, emails, or messages.

Verify any unexpected requests by contacting the organization directly through official channels, not through links or numbers provided in suspicious communications.

Update your privacy settings on social media to limit personal information exposure.

Shred documents containing personal information before disposal.

Monitor your bank, credit card, and online accounts regularly for unusual activity.

Limit the amount of personally identifiable information you share online and delete old social media accounts if no longer used.

Verify and Research

Be skeptical of any offers, especially those received via social media or unsolicited contacts.

Seek independent financial advice before making investments or large financial decisions.

If You Suspect a Scam

Report scams to authorities such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or relevant consumer protection agencies.

Contact your bank immediately if you notice suspicious transactions or if you have sent money to a scammer.

Talk to someone you trust to get a second opinion and avoid isolation, which scammers exploit.

By adopting these proactive steps—protecting your information, being cautious with communications, maintaining cybersecurity, verifying offers, and reporting suspicious activity—you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to scams.

Know What to Do if a Device Is Lost or Stolen

Since our devices contain all of our personal information, we need to protect them from unauthorized access. If you’ve protected your device and accounts as documented above, you’ll have better tools for protecting, finding, and recovering your device. If your device is lost or stolen, be prepared to take these essential steps immediately:

Use Find My to locate your device

Use the Find My app on another of your Apple devices, a family member's device, or iCloud.com. The fastest way to do this is with an Apple Watch.

Check the location of your device on the map if it is powered on or see its last known location if it is off.

You can also play a sound on the device to help locate it if nearby.

If the device remains lost

Mark your device as lost. This locks the device with a passcode, suspends Apple Pay, and can display a custom message with your contact info on the screen to help someone return it to you.

If you decide the device is unrecoverable

If the device has cellular service, contact your wireless carrier to suspend your service and prevent unauthorized use.

Report the loss or theft to local law enforcement, providing the serial number or IMEI of your iPhone (which can be found in your Apple ID account or on the original packaging).

File a claim with your carrier or AppleCare+ Theft and Loss if you have coverage.

Use Find My to erase all data remotely to protect your privacy. Note: Once erased, you won’t be able to track the device anymore, so only do this if you are absolutely sure it’s permanently lost.

Then remove the lost device from your trusted devices list.

By following these steps, you secure your personal information and maximize the chances of recovering your device safely. Always prioritize your safety and let law enforcement handle any direct recovery efforts if the device was stolen.

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​I'm Martyn 'Bhupesh' Arnold, owner of Productivity Architechs, LLC.

I've been helping individuals, families, and small businesses use Apple devices more effectively since 1983.

At Productivity Architechs, we believe technology ought to be enjoyable to use, reliable, private, and secure. That's why we focus on Apple products.

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