Tips for a More Secure iPad

By Paul Liu
Sunday, June 1st, 2014

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This article applies to the iPad 3 (third generation of iPad tablet) and other iPad models launched after 2012. The 3rd generation device introduced several cutting-edge features such as Retina Display, HD video recording and support for LTE connectivity in America and it managed to sell more than 3 million units in the first 3 days of its launch. Although the iPad boasts of extremely secure hardware and software components, it is still vulnerable to theft and web based security attacks. This article will focus on few tips that can help you to make your iPad 3 and beyond more secure.

1) Use a Strong Passcode – Having a strong passcode is essential to keep your iPad 3 secure. By default, iPad allows you to set a 4 digit passcode but that can easily be cracked by criminals. However, there is an option available under Password Lock settings (Set Simple Passcode to Off) that allows you to switch to more complex, alphanumeric passwords. Enabling the passcode would also encrypt your data which offers an additional layer of security for the sensitive data residing on your iPad. In addition to setting a strong passcode, you must also tweak the settings so that iPad asks for passcode after every 10-15 minutes of inactivity.

2) Enable Find My iPad – The “Find My iPad” feature can help you to locate your iPad if it is lost or gets stolen. However, you need to ensure that the feature is enabled by checking the Restrictions settings from the General settings pane. You should also set a separate passcode for the “Find My iPad” feature so that thieves are not able to disable the functionality without your knowledge.

3) Enable Remote Wipe – iPad 3 includes a built-in data protection feature that can wipe your personal data from the device after the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times in a row. This feature can be enabled from Password Lock settings window and it provides you with the assurance that your data would remain safe even if your iPad gets stolen. Since it is easy to recover data from iTunes and iCloud accounts at any time, you don’t have to worry about losing your data permanently after enabling the remote wipe option.

4) Secure Siri – Although Siri was not a part of iPad 3 when the device was launched, it became available for the device as a part of iOS 6 updates. Siri makes it easy to use certain features of iPad without the need to enter the passcode. However, this functionality could also be abused by hackers if they manage to get hold of your iPad so you must not allow access to Siri when the iPad is locked with a passcode. In addition, you should teach Siri not to reveal your personal data to strangers.

5) Use a VPN – If you rely on public Wi-Fi hotspots to connect to the internet from your iPad, you should subscribe to a VPN service immediately. A VPN helps you to protect your sensitive data from hackers and snoopers who might be connected to the same network by encrypting your traffic and routing it through a tunnel. If you want to secure your iPad with a VPN, you can check the VPN plans offered by ExpressVPN, EarthVPN, Private Internet Access, PureVPN and IPVanish.

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