Apple brings two-factor authentication to iCloud

Apple is quietly rolling out two-factor authentication for its iCloud service with an additional security challenge to log in credentials, according to media reports in the United States.

The security measure covers the cloud based services such as Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Reminders, as well as Apple productivity apps such as Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

However, two-factor authentication for iCloud does not appear to have reached Australian users, and Apple did not respond to an iTnews query as to when this would be rolled out locally.

Apple has been slow to add the extra security measure whereas other cloud service providers such as Google and Microsoft have had 2FA for the last few years.

Last March, Apple added optional 2FA for managing Apple ID credentials but until now, iCloud has not been protected by it.

This despite a well-publicised event close to two years ago, when renowned Wired writer Mat Honan suffered a hack that meant attackers were able to capture his Apple ID credentials and connect to his account.

After gaining access to Honan's account through social engineering, the attackers were able to erase all the data on his iPhone and iPad, as well as his Macbook computer. The data included pictures of Honan's young daughter that were not backed up elsewhere and which ended up irretrievably lost after the attack.