5 new phone security settings that feel like secrets - Komando

Posted: 22 May 2021 03:30 AM PDT

Your phone is one of the most important devices you own, but it can do so much more that you may not be aware of. While developers push new features and settings all the time, it's usually up to you to find them.

Change can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. Some affect your privacy, while others seek to make your life easier. Tap or click here for five new changes Google is cooking up.

Security is a top priority for your smartphone, so wouldn't it be great to know more about it? Read on for five new settings for your iPhone or Android gadget and how to manage them.

1. Two-factor authentication

A strong password is important, but there's always room for improvement when it comes to accessing your device. Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, adds another layer of security. This could be something only you know (the answer to a specific question, for example), something you have (a smartphone) and who you are (a fingerprint, facial scan, voice pattern).

If either factor isn't recognized, for example, your password or the code sent to you, you won't have access to the device. This is important if you lose your device or are signing into a new one. Here's how to enable it on your phone:

2FA for iPhone (Apple ID)

To turn on 2FA on your iOS device, go to Settings > [your name] > Password & Security and tap Turn on Two-Factor Authentication.
Tap Continue, then enter the phone number where you want to receive the verification codes.
Tap Next and enter the code.

2FA for Android (Google)

Open your Google Account and select Security.
Select 2-Step Verification under Signing in to Google and then Get started.
Now pick a method for verification: Google prompts, security keys, Google Authenticator or similar apps or a verification code sent to your phone via text or call.

2. Autofill

Two-factor authentication is a good security measure, but some people don't activate it because they don't want to deal with the extra steps involved. Autofill options make it easier to use 2FA when logging into a new device or account.

Security Code Autofill (iOS)

When you log into a new app or site with your 2FA-enabled iOS device, you no longer have to open the Messages app to get the code. Instead, the code will appear on your keyboard and you can tap it to autofill the security field. This feature is built into iOS 12 and later and there's no need to enable it. Tap or click here for more iPhone security tips.

SMS Verification Code Autofill (Android)

Open Settings and search Autofill. Then tap the service you want to enable it for.
Now open Settings again and go to Google > Verification Code Autofill and set the slider to On.
When using an app that supports it, tap Autofill to populate the security field.

3. Password safety

How do you know if a password is good or if it's been compromised? It could have been involved in a breach or be so common that other people are using it. Now you can check the status of your passwords and get help changing them.

Keychain password reuse auditing (iOS)

Safari stores your passwords in Keychain, accessible from your iOS device or iCloud. Your passwords are checked against a list of breached passwords, informing you if you have been compromised. This feature is turned on by default with iOS 14.

Go to Safari > Preferences > Passwords and look under Security Recommendations to see if any of your passwords were compromised. If so, you'll get a prompt to update your password with a stronger one.

Google Password Checkup

Chrome's Password Checkup feature is built into the Password Manager. Go to passwords.google.com and select Password Checkup > Check Passwords.

Here you can see which passwords have been compromised and which ones are weak and need to be changed. Tap or click here to check out similar features in other browsers.

4. Encrypted backup

You back up your stuff in the hopes that you never have to resort to using it, but it's nice to know it's there just in case. Encryption protects your precious information and adds some new features on top of that.

Encrypt iPhone backup

Encrypted iPhone backups contain information you won't find in normal backups, including saved passwords, health data, Wi-Fi settings, call history and website history.

On Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, open Finder. Open iTunes if you're using a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier or a PC.
Connect your iOS device to the computer and locate it.
Select Encrypt local backup under Backups in the General or Summary tab.
Create a strong password and make sure you have a way to remember it.
Confirm your password and your backup will start, overwriting and encrypting your previous backups.

Android backup encryption

If you're running Android 9 Pie or later, you have encryption turned on by default. It uses end-to-end encryption, which means only the person who created the data and the person who received it (both you in the case of a backup) can see the data. You can turn it off in Settings, but there's really no reason to do so.

5. Hide your photos

Ever hand your phone to someone and then regret doing so in fear that they can see photos you may not want them to? You can hide any private photos and easily access them yourself. Here's how:

Hide photos on iOS

Open Photos and select the photo or video you want to hide.
Tap the Share button then Hide to move them to the Hidden folder. You can find the Hidden folder under Utilities in the Photos app.
Hide the Hidden folder by opening Settings > Photos. Scroll down and toggle off Hidden Album. Now it won't show up under Utilities. Tap or click here for more hidden iPhone features.

Hide photos on Android

Open Google Photos on your phone and tap to select the images you want to hide.
Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, then tap Move to Archive. This moves your photos out of the main album.
To access the archive, tap Library then Archive.

Cloud storage that encrypts your files so they're safe – Explica .co - Explica

Posted: 30 May 2021 11:18 PM PDT

There was a time when the free triumphed on the internet. Being strict, this is still the case. But there are those who wonder to what extent it is worth using free services in exchange for their data, our data, being used to advertising campaigns or to sell us something. Cloud storage is a sector that offers free and paid space to save files. And it is increasingly common that, among their functions, they highlight the encryption of your files to keep them safe.

I mean, it's not enough anymore have space to save your files, share them and have them on all your connected devices. Now we also need the files we upload to the cloud to be safe. And for this, in addition to encrypting connections between your devices and the servers of the cloud storage service, it is increasingly common to find services that encrypt your files so that they are inaccessible by third parties or even by those who keep them online.

Thanks to file encryption, cloud storage gets rid of that old mistrust that if your documents are on an external server, they are visible to other people. Now it is no longer the case. The content you upload to the cloud stay safe both during shipping and after storage, wherever you are.

cloud storage

NordLocker

From the creators of NordVPN, a popular VPN service, comes to us NordLocker, your cloud storage that bets on the end-to-end encryption. Its free version gives us 3 GB of space, which you can expand to 500 GB for $ 3.99.

With its own applications for Windows and macOS, which integrate with Finder and Windows Explorer, this service makes it easy to encrypt files, share them through public links, make automatic backup, etc. As a particularity, its encryption is applied to your files since they are on your device. From there, you can upload the content of your choice to their servers.

For the rest, as encryption algorithms it uses AES256, Argon2 and ECC. And with the local encryption feature, you will keep your files safe even before uploading them to the cloud.

cloud storage

Sync

Secure cloud storage. Based in Canada, Sync He gives us 5 GB with his free account, space that can be increased by subscription. Whichever option is chosen, your files will be stored using end-to-end encryption so they stay safe and private.

The cheapest payment account, $ 8 per month with annual payment, increases your online space up to 2 TB. Not bad for making backup copies and saving countless photos, videos and all kinds of documents. In this sense, there are no limits to share and move files from your devices to the cloud.

As security measures, in addition to end-to-end encryption, it protects us from third-party tracking and complies with security and privacy regulations. HIPAA, GDPR and PIPEDA. To this must be added the two factor authentication, restricted downloads on demand, password protection and a built-in password file recovery with a minimum of 180 days in its cheapest version.

Internxt

Save your files in complete privacy. This is how it is presented Internxt, a provider of services related to cloud storage. What we understand as an alternative to Dropbox or Google Drive is called Internxt Drive. For free, it gives us 10 GB to upload files.

As explained on their website, the files are encrypted during the process rise and are distributed in small packages. Only you have the digital key to gather those pieces and re-access the original file.

Internxt It is available for any device with an app or through the web. PC, Mac, iOS, Android … And as an incentive, it is a project based in Valencia, Spain.

cloud storage

Tresorit

From Switzerland comes to us Tresorit, a cloud storage service that is committed to security as a flag. Available for companies and individuals, the cheapest plan has a price of € 10 per month (€ 8.33 if you pay annually). In return you will get 500 GB of cloud storage in which content remains encrypted.

Another interesting detail is that you can upload to your cloud files up to 5 GB, according to the most economical plan. That limit goes up to 20 GB with the most ambitious professional plan. Otherwise, the service has the same advantages as Dropbox or Google Drive. Namely: access from any device, ease of use, share files with a public link …

Tresorit It has web access and mobile applications. Also, you can integrate it into Outlook or Gmail in order to avoid storage problems with your emails. And to give you peace of mind, it complies with security and data protection standards ISO, CCPA and HIPPA, among others.

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