Washington (TND) – A warning has been issued to all iPhone users after tech experts uncovered a new cyberattack targeting Apple IDs.
“In this case, it’s the Apple ID. Your Apple ID is what really unlocks your phone and you can really think of it as a master key,” said Michael Nowatkowski, director of the Cybersecurity Institute at Augusta University.
Here’s how the scam works: Cybercriminals will send you a text message claiming to be from Apple. They’ll then ask you to click on a link to access an “important message” about iCloud.
“You’ll click on a link and it’ll take you to what looks like a legitimate page but is really just something that’s been recreated,” Nowatkowski said.
From there, the fake site will ask users to hand over their Apple ID information.
“This would give someone access to your contacts and your payment information,” Nowatkowski said.
To better protect yourself, set up two-factor authentication that requires a password and a verification code from an external device, says Ramnath Chellappa, an information systems professor at Emory University.
“If it’s another device, you have to provide a second level of verification before you’re allowed to access your own account,” Chellappa added.
Additionally, if you are really unsure whether a message is real or not, contact the company.
“Unless you have actively gone out to look for something, do not trust any email or any SMS,” Chellappa said.
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