After recent hacks, tighten up your iPhone security the easy way

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Use Dashlane password manager to double down on iPhone security.
Use Dashlane to double down on iPhone security.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

This iPhone security post is presented by Dashlane.

To say the least, Google Project Zero’s recent surprising report on the iPhone’s two-year vulnerability to website hacks dented Apple’s vaunted reputation for nearly bulletproof smartphone security.

To say the most (or something like it), this latest news of iPhone vulnerability deeply alarmed all of us. Or if it hasn’t, it should. It’s a reminder that threats are ever-present, potentially catastrophic — and not just for Android users anymore.

iPhones prove more vulnerable than we thought

Analysts previously thought hacks penetrating iPhone security on this level could only be carried out in highly targeted fashion by the likes of nation-states. Such attacks would require great sophistication and significant expense, or so the thinking went.

Those same analysts used words like “chilling” and “terrifying” to describe this recent breach. The vulnerability made it possible to glean nearly any information stored on an iPhone — including passwords — from the iOS Keychain. And all the user had to do to become compromised was visit certain websites.

But don’t panic. Apple fixed the flaw with a patch back in February after Google privately alerted Cupertino to the issue. And there’s more good news: You have options to protect your iPhone that are inexpensive (or free), and extremely easy to install and use.

Dashlane: iPhone security made easy

One way to add a layer of iPhone security is to use a password manager that can generate a unique and complex password everywhere you need one online, and keep them safely encrypted. Every time you sign up for something online, and every time you want to change an existing password, a password manager can generate a new one.

And you don’t need to remember this unwieldy (but extremely safe) string of letters, digits and symbols. Along with 13 million other users, for this we trust Dashlane, the official password manager of Cult of Mac.

Digital wallet, VPN, security alerts

Dashlane's Dark Web alerts warn of data breaches.
Dashlane’s Dark Web alerts warn of data breaches.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Plus, Dashlane’s patented security architecture does more than manage passwords. Incorporating multifactor authentication, its easy-to-use features help cover your tracks online. Dashlane also will notify you about potential problems so you don’t leave a trail of digital clues about yourself for others to pick up.

Dashlane features a digital wallet to store sensitive data that you commonly enter on websites. Better yet, it autofills this sensitive information when needed so you don’t need to type it. That way, no one can track your typing and steal your keystrokes. This is important because various pieces of your data — street address, email address, birthday, phone number, credit card info, Social Security number — add up to your identity, which, famously, can be stolen and used for nefarious purposes.

In addition, with the premium version of Dashlane ($60 a year), you can turn on a virtual private network to make your online comings and goings anonymous to websites. It also protects you when you use any public Wi-Fi networks you might come across. Using the Dashlane VPN, you can avoid malware and trackers altogether. As an added bonus, you can get around location restrictions on streaming content (say, if you leave the country briefly but still want to stream via a service to which you normally have perfectly legal access).

Dashlane also can send you alerts about security breaches. Dashlane Premium users add Dark Web Monitoring, which tells you if your information pops up where it doesn’t belong. That way, if your identity does get compromised, at least you know right away and can address the situation.

Price: Free, with premium subscription options

Download from Dashlane: Get a free 30-day trial of Dashlane Premium

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