YOUR iPhone is only as safe as you allow it to be – and a simple mistake could be your downfall.
It’s extremely important that you make sure your handset doesn’t fall victim to a dangerous hack attack.
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One of the best ways to avoid a cyberattack is by simply keeping your iPhone updated.
When Apple rolls out new iPhone updates, they almost always include security fixes.
These “patches” repair holes that could otherwise be used by cyber-crooks to compromise your device – potentially stealing your logins, photos and most private info.
Serious cyber-attacks can result in you losing significant sums of money, highly personal information, or precious photos and videos.
One good solution is to go to Settings > General > Software Update and make sure Automatic Updates is turned on.
This means your iPhone will automatically install the latest updates.
But if you don’t want to do that, you should at least check the Software Update section regularly for new updates.
For instance, Apple has just rolled out an emergency security update – iOS 16.1.1 – to fix two very dangerous bugs.
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It contains security fixes designed to stop hackers from taking control of your iPhone – killing apps or running dangerous code to spy on you.
“This update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users,” Apple explains.
“A remote user may be able to cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution.”
There are two security flaws fixed by the update, both of which were discovered by Google’s Project Zero team.
The update comes just days after the release of iOS 16.1, which also included security fixes.
Apple added: “Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your Apple product’s security.”
The update is available for free right now, and it’s extremely important that you install it as soon as possible.
No support
The bad news is that not all users can get iOS 16.1.1.
If you can upgrade to iOS 16 then you’re fine, but anyone with a very old iPhone model will miss out.
Here’s a list of all the iOS 16 (and iOS 16.1.1) supported devices:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone Xs
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Not being able to get the latest iOS means you’ll lose access to the most up-to-date security fixes.
These are vital patches that close holes used by hackers to access your systems.
So using a very old iPhone that can’t be updated could put you at risk.
If you can’t update to iOS 16, consider upgrading your iPhone sooner rather than later.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
