Shonky = dubious, unreliable

Right now the public is more skeptical about the privacy claims of businesses than ever before. However, that could change if more tech providers engineer their systems to adequately protect the data, security and privacy of their customers.

Apple is taking what may appear to its user base as an important step in this regard (good timing given the recent negative PR from its iCloud hack of celebrity photos). The tech giant says its new encryption will no longer allow it to bypass a customer's passcode to access data. This data includes that contained in text messages, emails, photographs and more.

Interestingly, CNN reported this encryption not only prevents creeps and crooks from accessing the data from iOS-powered devices; it also makes it difficult for anyone else, including law enforcement, to do the same.

However, there is at least one way police will work around this roadblock. Just as the celebrity-photo hacker gained his entry to sensitive photos through the iCloud, detectives and other government officials are likely to emulate this method. Apple has said it will comply with warrants to turn over information hosted on its servers, which is essentially what iCloud is - an collection of Apple-owned and operated servers.

In another move, Apple has said it is now working with two-step verification to ensure proper authentication of its users' identity. Two-step verification is good, and long over-due. Anyone with information security expertise can tell you that such verification has been recommended for decades. My own personal thoughts? Welcome to the cybersecurity club, Apple, we've been waiting on you for a VERY long time.

All mobile (and now wearable) device users should check to see if their devices are automatically backing up information to a cloud-based server. Often consumers have no idea this is even happening. You may be surprised of the private information about you floating around out there.  

If you're looking for tips on how to secure your iCloud specifically, check out this article by Jordon Golson.

'Larrikins' After Even Your Old Email Passwords

Larrikin = mischievous person

Speaking of two-step authentication, the method's use may have prevented another recent popular-brand hack attack. In mid-September, Gmail users were victimized by what appears to be Russian hackers who used malware on personal computers to steal some 5 million usernames and passwords.

This particular attack could have been prevented by what's called two-step authentication. Although, reports seem to indicate a majority of the accounts compromised were outdated. Therefore, Gmail's two-step authentication may not have been available to the account users at the time of setup. And if they were sleeping (never used) accounts, it's not likely the owners paid attention to the availability of it when the announcement came.

TIP FOR GMAIL USERS: To set up two-step authentication, hover over your profile picture in the upper right-hand corner and click Account, then Security, then choose to Enable "Two-Step Verification." This will prevent anyone (even you) from accessing your Gmail account without a code specific to the device attempting to access it.  

'Stickybeak' Apps Threaten User Privacy 

Stickybeak = nosey

Not surprisingly, a new report has found mobile apps are failing to provide users with basic privacy protections.

The report's authors put the failures they detected into three basic categories. Sixty percent of the apps they studied either:

• Did not disclose how they used personal information
• Required the user to give up an excessive amount of personal data
• Communicated privacy policies in type too small to be read on a phone's screen

As the Wall Street Journal points out in this blog post, it's not currently required for apps to have a privacy policy. However, we may soon see changes in this area of the law, especially where health apps are concerned. Currently, there are more than 100,000 health-related apps just available via smartphones.

Be mindful of any app that does not include a privacy policy, and train yourself not to just hit "Accept" on those data-gathering permission requests that pop up after you download a new one. You should absolutely understand what you are being asked to give up to take advantage of the app. Is it worth it?