Last week, I wrote an article detailing how you can reset the password on your Mac running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.
Now, I have to say that I wrote this article with all good intentions to help those readers out there that may have encountered the issue of forgetting their password. However, it was brought to my attention from one of our subscribers that the information I gave could be used with malicious intent to gain access to a stolen machine. I am glad I had someone play devil’s advocate because it has given me the opportunity to research how Apple has given its users tools to keep their Macs safe.
The thing about resetting a password on a Mac is that there have been methods of doing it for some time now, but not until recently has there been a means to keep intruders out. I will say that the measures I will talk about are mild to extreme and are best suited if you are no longer in possession of your machine. If your plan is to keep others out of your computer while it is at home, I would suggest a better home security system or armed guards. I haven’t exactly found a good way to keep people out if say, Sarah Connor is breaking into your home to find detailed files about Skynet on your personal computer, but that’s just fiction…right?
So what has Apple done to help their customers? Well, Apple introduced this new program called iCould. You may have heard about it being referred to as a means to back up your mobile device or use it as an email provider but Apple has added more features than just that. Apple has implemented a system that allows you to find, lock and even erase data on your registered devices. They key word here is “registered.” If you haven’t logged into iCloud with the same Apple ID account on each device, then you will not have access to these features.
Find your device: As I mentioned before, these tools are best suited for lost devices. The first feature is rather obvious regarding why it would be beneficial for a lost device. If you can’t find it, just log into iCloud.com and sign in using your Apple ID. After that select the icon labeled “Find My iPhone.” I know that could be misleading if you are looking for your computer or iPad, but that’s what it is for now. This will bring up a new screen that may require you to log in again. If it does, then enter your password again and a map should appear.
In the top left corner there is a button labeled “Devices.” Click that button and a menu will drop down allowing you to select from a list of your registered devices. Select the lost device and the map will show you the location of that device. Unfortunately, if the device is powered down you will not be able to locate the device and the locking or erasing features will not be immediate. However, if you attempt to lock or erase a device that is shut down, the device will have the security features activated immediately once the device is powered up. From here, you have access to the next two features I mentioned before.
Lock your device: This is done simply by clicking the lock button in the window located in the top right of the page with the map and locations of your device. After that, you simply follow the instructions and keep in mind the passcode you create is a firmware passcode that is only removable by Apple — so don’t forget this one. If it asks for a phone number, you can give one if you think that you lost the machine and a good samaritan will return it to you (otherwise it is probably not necessary). You might also be given the option to enter a message to your machine’s kidnapper to let them know who they’re dealing with.
Erase your device: This is an extreme measure, but if you know that your device is not coming back and you have sensitive information on it, this will erase the data from your hard drive. Similar to the steps taken to lock the device would simply click on the “Erase” button and follow the onscreen instructions. This should erase the OS partition of your computers hard drive and leave the recovery partition intact if you are erasing a computer otherwise it will simply format the device if it is an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.
Now I know that these are not perfect solutions, but I feel like they are a step in the right direction for protecting your device’s data from the villains of the world. With these tools given to you by Apple, I hope that you can rest a little bit easier knowing you CAN do something if you ever lose your device.
If you have any further questions or concerns, I would love to hear them, but you can also visit Apple’s support page to read further about iCloud’s security features.
iCloud: Lock and track your device
iCloud: Erase your device remotely