An iPad could set you back around £400 to £700 so it’s something that you’ll want to look after and get the best from it. Here are a few tips to help you keep you iPad safe and secure from various threats:
- Don’t leave it unattended – Hopefully this one should be common sense; if you leave your iPad unattended you leave it open to theft. Your iPad contains a lot of your personal information which could easily be compromised if left unattended. If left lying around the device could get damaged, knocked off the table or worktop, and trodden on.
- Keep it covered – Use a screen protect to prevent scratches and dents and also keep the screen clean. It’s also worth investing in a silicone cover too as these improve your grip on the iPad, reducing the risk of dropping it; and if you do drop it, the cover provides some protection against damage.
- Install updates regularly – It’s advisable to install updates when they pop up rather than clicking ‘install later’. Apple issue regular software updates that fix various bugs and glitches and improve battery life etc so make sure you keep up to date.
- Prevent unauthorised access – It’s advisable to set up your iPad so that it automatically locks itself after a predefined period of inactivity and will require a specific pass-code to unlock. For added security ensure you restrict the amount of people who know the code and change it regularly.
- Encrypt your data – The iPad offers a 256 bit AES encoding procedure. This is a hardware-based encryption which is turned on by default and cannot be disabled by users. However it’s recommended that you also use another form of encryption for maximum security.
- Back up your data – With any computer device there is always the chance of technical failure as well as loss or theft of the device so it’s vital to backup your important data. Regularly.
- Use a secure Wifi connection – The iPad’s unique selling point has always been its portability. You can connect to the internet via Wifi almost anywhere these days. However it’s highly advisable to connect to a trusted, secure network to ensure that any data you send is not intercepted. Try to turn off Wifi and Bluetooth when not in use; this will prolong your battery life and stop your iPad from attempting to connect to any unsecured networks.
