iCloud Now Has The Important Security Feature Apple Promised Would Help Protect Your Data

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Lionsgate/The Hunger Games trailer

Jennifer Lawrence was among the celebrities whose nude photos were hacked.

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Apple has activated two-factor authentication for iCloud, according to a MacRumors report.

The Apple cloud storage service has come under fire since a hacking ring leaked a number of celebrity nude photos online that were stored on iCloud.

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Two-factor authentication is a security feature designed better verify your identity and protect your data.

It works by sending a message with a code to your smartphone (or whatever device you select) when you log into your iCloud account from a new device. That way your account can't be hacked (unless that person has your selected device, too).

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You can learn how to set up two-factor authentication for iCloud right here.

Apple users already had two-factor authentication on iTunes, which helped protect purchases made in iTunes and the App Store. (Games, apps, movies, music, etc.) But two-factor authentication didn't work with iCloud, which stores messages, photos, emails, and other personal data, until now. After the scandal, Apple CEO Tim Cook promised changes to Apple's security features. Today, Apple delivered.

It's important to note that two-factor isn't automatically set up for iCloud. You have to log in and enable it first.

Apple is asking some users to wait about three days between setting up two-factor and it actually working on your iCloud. That usually happens if you try to set up a new password for your Apple account when you try to enable two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication is an easy way to better protect yourself from hackers and thieves, but it's not perfect. Several other major tech companies have the security feature, including Google, which lets you use it to help protect Gmail, Google Drive, and other services.

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