It’s been in the news lately. Should Apple allow the US Government access to a phone? Maybe both sides are correct. In any event, securing your phone is as important today as ever and the story has gotten many people thinking about their phone security. There are three settings you can use to really secure your phone.
First, change your passcode to a six character format rather than four. Currently, agencies can crack a four digit code in about a day. A six digit code would take years to crack due to the increased number of possible combinations. To do so go to your phone Settings icon. Click on Touch & Passcode. Enter your current passcode. Tap on Change Passcode and enter it again. Then enter the new six digit passcode.
Next, scroll down the same menu and tap Erase Data. Turn it on and after 10 unsuccessful attempts the phone will erase all data. Caution: if you have young children you may not want to activate this feature… Additionally, you should write down the passcode and store it safely.
Finally, turn on the locator. Go to Settings and tap on Privacy. Turn on the locator feature. Now if you lose the phone, you can locate it using online software and/or destroy the data remotely.