Recent steps have made it much harder for outsiders to gain access to data locked away by a person's Apple ID. But owners of the data run the risk of getting locked out themselves if they don't keep good track of their recovery key, The Next Web is warning.
Changes came a few months ago, when Apple added a two-step authentication protocol for services like iTunes and iCloud. Users not only have to enter their password, but a second code that they receive directly to one of their approved devices.
To make sure users are not locked out should they lose their password or one of their devices, Apple created a 14-digit recovery key, which the company advises customers to keep somewhere safe. It can then be used if an Apple ID gets locked because of a hacking attempt or because a wrong password has been entered too many times, reports The Next Web, a tech news website that has put the system under close scrutiny.
Thus, while Apple has created a fairly sturdy security network based upon two different codes and approved pieces of hardware, it means that losing two of those three gets a person locked out, with no more access to their data, from movies to music to books to stored email.