Change your iCloud password NOW

There’s a rumor flying around the Internet that up to 40 million iCloud accounts have been compromised. Now, we normally wait for extra information and corroborating data to back up claims, if this one is true there’s no time to lose: Check your iCloud account settings — it can’t hurt and it might save your bacon.

A ransom for your iPhone?

So, what’s going on? Well, according to CSOnline, a number of Apple users have reported that their devices have been locked, showing the Find My iPhone app with a ransom demand written in Russian. Things get murkier: Consider that two Russian nationals were arrested for “blocking Apple devices to extort funds.” After their arrests (back in June 2014), things went quiet; however, new details are beginning to emerge, stories about other people being targeted.

Now, what’s happening right this moment is not very clear. Could it be a case of password reuse? Indeed, several large online companies including LinkedIn, MySpace and Tumblr recently had large amounts of user data posted online, so it’s not hard to imagine.

But if that is happening, what can you do to keep your Apple device safe and not bricked? Well, I’m glad you asked…

Change your passwords — all of them!

First things first, you need to change that old password, pronto. Head on over to your appleID settings to get started. From there you can view your security settings. Click “Change password” to update your password —and remember to test sample passwords with our online password checker.

Two-step verification

As long as we’re in the area, now would also be a great time to add two-step verification to your account . Doing so adds an extra layer of protection and ensures that it’s much more difficult for hackers or crooks to break into your account.

Now is also a great time to start thinking about investing in a password manager. Kaspersky’s password manager is a great one, if we say so ourselves, so make sure you check it out here.