Why not use the numeric code to lock the iPhone

Through various software cyber criminals can unlock our iPhone protected by a four-digit numeric code in just a few hours

Nowadays to unlock the screen of our smartphone we have several alternatives available: the fingerprint scanner is now present on all smartphones (or almost), while on the long wave of the iPhone X are more and more devices that offer users unlocking with facial recognition.

Despite these being the most secure alternatives, most iPhone users still use a numeric code to unlock their phone's display. Many even use a password of just four numbers , obviously much less secure than codes consisting of at least six numbers. It must be said that with the latest iOS updates, Apple "obliges" users to set passcodes of at least six digits: this increases the security of the Apple phone and the data contained within it. However, the Cupertino-based company's mobile devices would still be hackable with extreme ease by GreyKey, a device created specifically to unlock encrypted iPhones and iPads.

GreyKey, the system that recognizes your password

Created by the American company Grayshift, GreyKey is a small box apparently endowed with magical powers. Particularly appreciated by the police forces of the United States, it allows you to unlock the screen of an iPhone in two hours (if it is protected with four numbers) or three days (if it is protected with six digits).

In short, a device "dangerous" for your privacy and the data contained within the memory of the applephone: if our iPhone were to end up in the wrong hands (a hacker or cybercriminal in general) could steal all our personal information and use it for various purposes.

How to protect your iPhone and your privacy

To avoid getting caught in the trap of hackers and cybercriminals, it is more than advisable to adopt more complex and secure unlocking methods (such as fingerprint or facial recognition). In case we own an old iPhone, we should instead use a passphrase. That is, an alphanumeric code between 9 and 12 characters. The password should be a mix of upper case, lower case and numbers. If we also add one or two symbols we will further increase the cyber security of our iPhone.

How to change iPhone passcode

To improve the security of our iPhone we must therefore change the unlock code. To do this, let's first go to Settings. At this point we select the item Touch ID. In the new page click on Change Password. In the lower section of the screen we select Password Options. And then click on the heading Custom Alphanumeric Code. We enter our passphrase (the advice is to do it with at least 9 characters and including numbers, at least one capital letter and a symbol) and save. In this way our iPhone and our data will be safe.