Apple CEO Tim Cook announced Thursday that they'll be adding alerts to their iCloud security.
The move follows the controversy of iCloud's suspected system security breach leading to some photos of celebrities being leaked online. Cook said that no security was breached and further explained the hackers answered the users' security questions correctly through phishing and obtained the passwords. The hacking is more human than technological, said the Apple CEO.
To quell the doubts on iCloud's security, the CEO said that the additional steps are planned to keep out hackers in private accounts. The new security measure will implement sending alerts via email and push notifications to users every time someones tries to change the account password, restore data from iCloud to a new device, and when a device logs in for the first time in the old account. The plan is slated to start in two weeks.
Cook said that the Apple will broaden the implementation of "two-factor authentication," which asks users for two or three steps to access an account-a password, a four-digit code used only once, and a long string of access code given to users when they first sign up for the device.
Though the two-factor authentication is already available, Apple said that majority of users do not use it. The company plans to more aggresively encourage the users to use the said security measure.
Independent security expert and researcher Ashkan Soltani said that Apple prioritizes usability and compromises security. He further said that the plans for new notifications will do little to improve security.
"More often than not, Apple chooses to err on the side of usability to make it easier for the user that gets locked out from their kid's baby photos than to employ strong protections for the high-risk individuals," said Soltani.
Apple plans to reveal their lastest large-screen iPhone and smartwatch this week.
