Published: January 30, 2024 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
With data theft on the rise, Apple is reminding its users about their Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encryption feature. It's a welcome option for some but others warn of potential risks. A closer look can help you decide if this free ADP feature works for you.
Apple's push for ADP comes on the heels of releasing a 2023 report about the growing threat to personal data. The report shows a total of 2.6 billion personal records were breached in 2021 and 2022, and 360 million people were victimized by corporate and institutional data breaches in the first eight months of 2023.
How ADP Works
Many Apple users aren't aware that by default, Apple already has standard data protection. It encrypts data from 14 categories including health information and passwords. That's great, but it lacks the highest level of data security: end-to-end encryption and that's where ADP comes in.
When users enable ADP, iCloud backups and important data get end-to-end encrypted. That means solid protection from leaks, breaches, surveillance, and other risky circumstances. ADP increases the total number of data categories to 23, adding Photos, Notes, iCloud backups, and more, giving end-to-end protection to your important files.
ADP: Thumbs Up
Even though Apple introduced Advanced Data Protection one year ago, their push to remind its users to enable it syncs with the release of their report. The report shows 1.5 billion records, and growing, were compromised last year, up from 1.1 billion the year before. With dismal results about the ongoing security of personal data, enabling Apple's added feature of ADP's end-to-end encryption is a welcome idea.
ADP: Thumbs Down
Perhaps the biggest downside of ADP is potentially losing all your backed-up data. Along with protecting data from outside intrusion, with ADP, Apple can't access the data either. That means if you lose your recovery key, all the encrypted data is lost, and you can't recover it. However, Apple requires you to give a trusted person a copy of the 28-character recovery key or write the key down yourself. Putting that key in a safe deposit box isn't a bad idea. In fact, keeping it tucked away is preferred over sharing information with someone else…even your most trusted cohorts. Take a moment to review some earlier information on AI voice phishing! AI makes it possible for everyone to be fooled into giving up sensitive data.
As data breaches inevitably grow, so do questions of how to better protect our important data. Big tech companies like Apple continue searching for the answer. Although not perfect, Apple's Advanced Data Protection gives its users the option of end-to-end protection. It’s a start, for sure. Do some of your own research and determine if enabling this feature is the right choice for you.
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