iCloud’s two-factor authentications now covers backups

Following the mass leak of hundreds of nude pictures of celebrities, Tim Cook promised the world that iCloud’s security would be increased to prevent such a thing from happening again. Now that system has gone live since the service’s two-factor authentication covers all of your backups.

Following the leak it was revealed that iCloud’s two-factor authentication wasn’t quite up to scratch, namely because it didn’t actually protect your backups. This flaw was incredibly easy to exploit, and is considered one of the major factors that allowed hackers to access the celebrity photos stored in the cloud.

Ars Technica tested the new system with Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker and got an unspecified HTTP error. When they tried it on an account without two-factor authentication enabled they were given full access the account and it’s information. So we know that the new system actually works.

Remember everyone security is important, and if you want to make it harder for people to access your cloud data then you should go and activate two-factor authentication on all your accounts as soon as possible.

Want to read more? Here’s our coverage of the recent Apple announcements, including everything you need to know about Apple’s ‘phablet’, the iPhone 6 Plus, and smartwatches buying guide, or if you’re sick of Apple completely, here’s our rundown of our 14 favourite dating apps, from Tinder to eHarmony.