When it comes to mobile device security, no other security measure beats having physical control of the device to keep it from being compromised. Let’s face it though, we are humans and tend to screw up. People leave their mobile devices in taxi cabs, buses, the local park bench or in bars/clubs on a regular basis. So the next best thing to physical security is to have your mobile device set up with a passcode, a good passcode. In this post I will be discussing passcodes on Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch). Let’s move on……..
Apple allows users two options when it comes to creating a passcode: Simple or Long. When you choose the Simple option, it allows for a 4-Digit passcode which has only 10,000 possible combinations. Choosing the Long passcode option, you can have up to 31 characters for your passcode by utilizing any of the 108 characters available from the virtual keyboard. If you decided to use only 4 characters instead of just digits, the number of possible character combinations jumps considerably. Let’s see what possbile combinations we get when choosing the Long passcode option (if I am wrong, please call me on this. I have poor math skills):
4 Characters using just lowercase letters = 456,976
4 Characters using any combination of lowercase letters and 10-digits = 1,679,616
4 Characters using any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters = 7,311,616
4 Characters using any combination of upper/lowercase letters and 10-digits = 14,776,336
4 Characters using any combination of all 108 characters available on the U.S. iOS on-screen keyboard = 136,048,896
So as we can see, just enabling the Long passcode option using more than just a combination of only 4-Digits makes it a lot harder for a bad guy to gain access to your lost/stolen phone (Unless they get a lucky guess). Couple the above numbers of enabling the Long passcode option, with activating the “Erase Data” option which erases your iOS device’s data after 10 failed pasccode attempts and you’ve got youself a pretty secure device. Daniel Gattermann over on his Cinnamon Thoughts blog did some research on wait intervals for failed login attempts on iOS devices when the “Erase Data” option was selected. See his table below:
Just remember, you can always restore your iOS device using the computer you synced it to if the device is wiped. Now, let me show you how to get your Long passcode set up……
First from your Home screen, find and tap on the Settings icon:
Then, tap on the General menu option:
Now, scroll down to the Passcode Lock option and tap it:
By default the iOS Passcode is “Off”. Tap “Turn Passcode On” to turn it on:
You will be prompted to enter and then re-enter a 4-Digit Passcode:
Now is a good time to enable the “Erase Data” option:
Now, if you were not to go any further, you would get this “Enter Passcode” dialog screen when returning from sleep or after locking your screen:
Since we want to use a Long Passcode, we are going to continue on. Look for the “Simple Passcode” option. As you will see in the image below, it is switched “On” by default:
Let’s tap on it to activate a Long Passcode. You will need to enter your old 4-Digit passcode and will then be promted to enter and re-enter a new Long Passcode:
You will be returned to the Passcode options page. Notice that Simple Passcode is now “Off”:
Now when returning to your iOS device from sleep or after locking the screen, you will see a new passcode dialog screen:
That is it. Your Long Passcode is now set. A word of advice, if you are using a passphrase as your passcode you don’t use anything that people who know you (like a co-worker, relative or even the office janitor) can figure out. Things like a pets name, home address or even your favorite car can be gathered about you easily. For more information on how to create good passphrases, check out Episode 2 of the Podcast.
For more information on iOS Device Passcodes check out these two Apple Support pages:
- Understanding Passcodes
- Wrong Passcode Results in Red Disabled Screen
-Joe G.
