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1/12/2023 0 Comments Multi-Factor Authentication using Apple's Keychain - for simple authentication using Touch ID or Face ID As a protection against scams and hackers, important online accounts should all be set up with additional security (other than just a password) - something called Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).
An authentication code can be provided by an Authenticator app, one that has been connected to the account (through the account’s settings). Such apps are offered by Microsoft, Google and other providers. The issue with some authenticator apps (e.g. Microsoft’s) is that the authentication is tied to a particular device and, for some types of online account, it is not possible to set up authentication via multiple devices. If the device that normally authenticates is not available, access to your account is not possible. I have been caught out by this in the past, as have other iTandCoffee clients - especially when changing iPhones. This was something I was concerned about before I travelled, worried that if I lost my phone, I would be locked out of various accounts - something I didn’t want to have to deal with while away. So, before travelling, I switched all my multi-factor authentications to use Apple’s Keychain instead of Microsoft's or Google's Authenticator. Keychain offers the same ‘scan a QR code’ setup that other Authentication apps offer. The great thing about using Keychain is that all my Apple devices can provide the authentication codes - not just one. And I only need to provide my Touch ID or Face ID on the devices to see the authentication code magically appear.
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 A client who visited iTandCoffee last week needed help with her mail password. She wanted to add the account to her new iPhone and iPad, but did not know the password. Her Mac 'knew' the password and allowed her to manage her mail, but she couldn't find a record of that password.
This is a very common problem, especially for mail accounts that have been in use for a long time. If you are not sure of your email account password, your Mac may allow you to look it up - and save you a call to your email provider. If your mail is with the likes of Optus or Telstra, it is certainly a relief to save yourself from such a call! An iTandCoffee Club member was doing some re-setting of important passwords after noticing in the Security Recommendations in Settings -> Passwords that a few of his passwords were weak or had appeared in a data breach.
He then came back to Settings -> Passwords and deleted some old passwords from there - and inadvertently deleted a couple of the important ones. His question for iTandCoffee was whether this would cause any problems with accessing his accounts and whether he needed to again change the passwords for the impacted accounts. 7/10/2022 0 Comments How to check your account passwords and save new ones - and have them sync between devices With the recent concerning news of the Optus data breach, the topic of managing passwords for online accounts inevitably gets discussed - and I have been asked a couple of times this week about how I manage my own passwords.
I store all my account passwords in one place, and they automatically sync across all my devices and auto-fill in my web browser whenever I need them, as long as I can provide my fingerprint, Face ID or device password. And I can look them up any time from any of my devices if I need to know what they are. Here's what I use.  Many Mac users think that, by having a password protecting their access to their Mac, they are making their Mac's contents inaccessible to those who should not have access - for example, if the Mac is stolen.
The truth is that, for the majority of Macs, the password will not prevent such access. Your Mac is still vulnerable to unauthorised access if it falls into evil hands.  I just want to share with you a very sad tale about what can happen if your online account passwords are easy to guess, have perhaps been re-used across multiple sites - and are also not protected by a second layer of protection (called two step verification or multi-factor authentication).
A client of iTandCoffee has recently been the victim of hacking, and has been locked out of a Google account that was essential to running her business.  If you are a Mac user, there are some great new features that have arrived in macOS Monterey - which was released in October 2021.
The picture shown here gives an indication of just some of the changes - and is taken from a video we have recorded for iTandCoffee Club members. 12/10/2021 0 Comments How you can nominate a 'Recovery Contact' who can help if you lose your Apple password
Just this week, I assisted a client who found herself in trouble due to forgotten passwords - for both her Apple ID and her Mac.
When she tried to do a password reset of her Apple password, a message popped up on her Mac asking her to confirm her Mac password, so that she could then enter a new password. Unfortunately, as I see quite often with Mac users, her Mac just turns on without asking for a password - so she had no idea what the Mac's 'master' password was. So she faced a roadblock that was tricky to get around. What would have been handy in this case is a new feature that Apple has introduced as part of iOS/iPadOS 15 - where you can nominate a person (in fact, up to 5 people) as a Recovery Contact. 9/9/2021 0 Comments On Facebook, are you giving away identity info, answers to secret questions, and passwords?
Every day on Facebook, I see the posts that are seeking to steal information from my Facebook Friends.
The posts look innocent enough - perhaps even fun. Quizzes where you share information about yourself with your friends or prove how good your memory is. And I see my Facebook Friends getting caught out by these posts, and 'joining in the fun'. But here's why you should never engage with posts like this - why they can be very dangerous.  One of the best ways to manage all your passwords is to use a Password Safe (Password Vault) app that can sync between all your devices.
Here's an article that compares Password Safes. But there is a key trap with these Password Safe that I have seen regularly catches out iTandCoffee Clients, family and friends. |
What's on at iTandCoffee ?Below is our list of videos, classes and other events that are coming up soon.
Videos shown are offered for eligible members of the iTandCoffee Club. If you have questions, why not join fun and informative 'user group' meetings, held once a month. All iTandCoffee classes are run as online classes (using Zoom), which means you can attend from anywhere. |
27 Sycamore St, Camberwell, Victoria Australia
Call 1300 885 420
to book an appointment or class, or to enquire about our services and products
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SENIORS CARD WELCOME HERE:
Seniors Card holders qualify for a 10% discount on all classes booked and paid for online (excludes PTT sessions and classes already discounted during COVID-19 crisis). To activate the discount at the time of booking, select Redeem Coupon or Gift Certificate and enter 10OFFSEN before selecting Pay Now. |
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