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How to Protect Your Apple ID with a Security Key By Sergio Velasquez A special thanks to iDropNews for republishing permission. Images provided by iDropNews. Be sure to visit them at idropnews.com By itself, your Apple ID is already protected by Apple from most cyber attacks. Thanks to Apple’s secure encryption, most of us are safe with just using features like two-factor authentication for our Apple ID. But that’s not all you can do. If you want, Apple lets you take your security to the next level. This is thanks to the fact that you can now add a security key to your Apple ID. Think of this as an even more secure two-factor authentication for your iCloud account. While having a physical key might present its own risks, this is definitely the best way to make sure you’re the only one with access to your Apple ID. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to set up a security key for your Apple ID. What Is a Security Key? A security key is an external physical device that you connect to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, to use as the second part of the two-factor authentication process to log in to your Apple ID. The purpose of using a security key is to make sure you’re the only one that can access your Apple ID account, making it more secure against cyber attacks like phishing or other scams. How Using a Security Key Works When you set a security key for your Apple ID, you’ll still log in to your account as you normally would. That means you’ll enter your Apple ID and password normally. However, once you’ve done that, instead of your iPhone asking for a six-digit number, you’ll insert or tap your physical security key instead. This makes it harder for cybercriminals to break into your Apple account since they can’t just try to intercept a six-digit code to pretend they’re you — they would need physical possession of your security key. What You Need to Begin Using Security Keys With Your Apple ID Apple has a few requirements before you start setting up your security keys, so be sure you have everything before starting.