Taking care of your iPad means looking into iPad security tools, tactics, and apps. While you may feel that the things on your iPad are worthless, this doesn’t mean that someone won’t still try and hack your iPad.
If you’re hacked this could result in the loss of passwords, banking information, personal data, and your device no longer working. Why risk it when these iPad security tools and tips are so easy to follow? Keep reading and learn how to protect your iPad!
iPad Security Tips to stay secure on the go
1: Turn on Passcodes & make them strong
The most obvious way to increase your iPad security is to turn on your Passcode lock screen. The default Passcode is 4 digits long, which is pretty weak. Consider turning on the complex option which gives you numbers, upper and lower case letters, and symbols for the greatest iPad security at the Passcode screen.
To set up a simple Passcode:
- Click on your Settings icon > Go to Passcodes > Click button for ‘Turn Passcode On’
To set up a complex Passcode:
- Click on Settings icon > Passcodes > Turn Passcode on > Green button for ‘Simple Passcode ‘turn off > Enter new Passcode via prompts
2: Find my iPad may save you more than you think
The Find My iPad app is one of the most useful iPad security tools you’ll come across. It can help you locate your iPad when you’ve lost it in your home by activating a ‘screamer.’ If you turn on the screamer and still can’t find your iPad, use the GPS feature to see where it is.
Since this is an Apple app, you also have a handy tool that will allow you to reset your iPad to factory settings. If your iPad has sensitive data on it, or drunken naked photos, this may just save you from all kinds of fraud and embarrassment.
3: Remote Wipe mode
As a failsafe incase you can’t get to your Find My App option to remote wipe, a useful iPad security tool built right into the system is the Remote Wipe function. Remote Wipe will set your iPad back to factory settings after 10 failed attempts at your Passcode.
To turn this on go to:
- Settings > Passcode > Erase Data button turned to green
Don’t worry, it’s not erasing your data right that second! Only after 10 failed Passcode attempts. If you want to feel like a secret agent, think of Remote Wipe as ‘Self-Destruct Mode.’ Apple really needs to think about changing that name…
4: Hack a hacker with Find My iPad protection
If you were a hacker who find an iPad they wanted to hack, and saw it had Find My iPad turned on, what’s the first thing you’d want to do? Disable Find My iPad, of course.
You want to make things as hard as possible for hackers and thieves, so here’s the settings to change to make it harder for them to disable Find My iPad and increase your iPad security:
- Tap on your ‘Settings’ icon.
- Click on ‘General’ and then touch ‘Restrictions.’
- If restrictions haven’t yet been enabled, choose the ‘Enable Restrictions’ option. Create a 4-digit PIN code and confirm that code.
- Scroll down on the ‘Restrictions’ page to the ‘Privacy’ section. Select ‘Location Services’.
- Scroll Down to the bottom to the ‘Find My iPhone’ section. Make sure that it is turned ‘ON.’ Check that the ‘Status Bar Indicator’ is turned to the ‘OFF’ position. This when things get secret agent as your Find My iPad app doesn’t tell a thief that they’re being tracked – but you know they are.
- Close the ‘Find My iPhone’ settings page. Scroll up to the top of the ‘Restrictions’ > ‘Location Services’ menu.
- Select ‘Don’t Allow Changes,’ you’ll know it’s on when you see a check mark. The items in ‘Restrictions’ > ‘Location Services’ should now be grey.
- Select the ‘Restrictions’ button at the top left corner of your screen. There will now be a padlock icon next to ‘Location Services’ in the ‘Restrictions’ > ‘Privacy’ section of the configuration page.
Good job, secret agent 00iPad
5: Always use a VPN on public WiFi networks
You bought an iPad to take it with you everywhere you go. Thieves know this and have devised a few tricks to steal your data without you know, like the man in the middle attack. This hack steals your information as plain text when a hacker inserts themselves between your iPad and your public WiFi connection without you knowing it.
You can dramatically increase your iPad security with a
6: Make sure Siri doesn’t talk to stranger
People love using Siri to quickly access their information by bypassing their lock screen. This is convenient for you, and can be just as convenient for hackers and thieves who get their hands on your iPad for even a moment.
To prevent your beloved Siri from giving away your secrets to the first smooth talker that comes along:
- Select the “Settings” icon.
- Select the “General” menu.
- Choose the “Passcode lock” option.
- Change the “Allow access to Siri when locked with a passcode” option from “ON” to the “OFF” setting.
There, Siri will no longer share your deepest, darkest secrets and your iPad security will be better for it!
Feature image by Aaron Amat / Shutterstock