Apple is about to change the way you log in to iMessage and FaceTime

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Tim Cook

REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a presentation at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California October 16, 2014.

Apple has introduced two-factor authentication for iMessage and FaceTime, which makes the services much more secure and trickier to hack into.

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The Guardian reports that the extra-secure two-factor system is going to be rolled out to cover the two services.

Two-factor verifications means that users have to enter a second code when logging into a service. After entering your password, Apple will send a text to your phone and you'll have to use that to login as well.

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The improved security means that if a hacker gets your password and tries to log into your iMessage or FaceTime account, the user has to check on their phone for the security code. Unless a hacker had your phone, then they can't get into your account.

Hackers used weak security in Apple's iCloud account system to break into the iPhone backups of celebrities and steal their private photographs. Those images were released online back in September.

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The security question system was the weak part of Apple's system. Hackers used publicly known information about celebrities to guess the answers and get into accounts. Adding two-factor verification to iMessage and FaceTime means that users need to approve login attempts on their phone - making iCloud more secure overall.

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