Privacy controls for iOS 11 data

You probably already know that your Apple device collects some of your phone’s data. You may also not like the idea of a corporation accessing personal information such as your location and the websites you visit. Fortunately, there are a few ways to protect yourself by tweaking some of iOS 11’s privacy controls.

Location Services controls

Apple and other third-party apps and websites gather user location data to make Location Services work better. Apple Maps, Google Maps, and other mapping apps need location data to make recommendations, notify friends of your whereabouts, and more. But some users might not like every app on their phone having full access to their precise location.

To limit your phone’s location-data gathering, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services (lists all the apps that obtain location info on your device)
• Review the location access privilege of each app:
  • While Using - the app obtains location data only when it’s in use
  • Always - the app obtains data whether or not it’s in use, as in the case of Google Maps and the Weather app
  • Never - for apps that aren’t set up to obtain location data
• Uncheck the apps set to Always that you don’t want to have full-time access to your location info
• Deactivate access by swiping the button from right to left

Location sharing and device controls

Share My Location lets your contacts see your location via apps like Messages and Find My Friends, as well as location-based features like Siri and the Home apps. It’s often convenient to leave this activated, but users can deactivate it by swiping the button from right to left.

You can also share your location from other Apple devices connected to your Apple ID account. For example, if you own an iPhone and an iPad, you can share your location information from your iPad using your iPhone.

Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Share My Location
• On the Share My Location page, tap From and choose the device from which you wish to share your location. From this page, you can also delete devices you no longer use. Just swipe the device name and tap Delete

Application-based privacy

You can also limit third-party apps from accessing your iPhone hardware and apps. For instance, if you don’t want Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or any other app to have access to your contacts, here’s what you need to do:

• Go to Settings > Privacy
• Go to the individual app (e.g., Contacts)
• Deactivate access to an app (e.g., Facebook Messenger) by swiping the button from right to left

System Services

You can also adjust your iPhone or iPad’s location-data access on a system-wide basis. There is an option to allow your device to remember the places significant to you, which is aimed at improving location-based services in Maps, Photos, and other apps that need location data.

How to do it:

• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services
• Activate or deactivate individual system-wide settings (e.g., Find My iPhone, Sharing Time Zone, Significant Location, etc.)

Given the large number of apps you use on a daily basis, the amount of data you’re sharing with third-party websites and apps could be alarmingly high. If you need expert help ensuring your business’s Apple devices are not unnecessarily sharing data, call us today.

Quick recoveries with external IT support

Small-business owners with limited financial resources have to manage their office IT on their own. Although this might work for a while, it can grow into a massive problem when the business starts expanding. At that point, you’ll want to focus on that expansion, not repairing tech problems. This is where external IT support comes into play.

Access to new technologies and industry experts

Managed Services Providers (MSPs) are equipped with resources most small businesses can’t afford. They employ teams of experts in fields ranging from cybersecurity to data management to networking -- all available for you on an outsourced basis. For example, an MSP provides advanced security software and applications that can help your business avoid the risks of cyberthreat.

They also work with industry tech leaders who provide insights into upcoming hardware and software products in the market. This ensures you receive updated recommendations on the latest technologies so you can use them in your business, and they often come with deals and discounts that you wouldn’t normally have access to.

Knowledge from past breaches

External IT support providers have been helping businesses recover from all kinds of tech disasters since the dawn of hackers. They now have enough knowledge to prepare Data Backup and Disaster Recovery plans for you. This way, you and your team would still be up and running after suffering from an IT emergency without disrupting much of your business operations.

External support providers' experience with data protection will ensure your systems are monitored around the clock so your security systems are always functioning properly to keep cybercriminals at bay.

Run your business with ease

You don’t specialize in technology, so you don’t have the skill or the experience in dealing with digital felons. You also know how vulnerable your business is online and won’t dare do anything to jeopardize it. That’s why external support is such a great asset -- you’ll be able to manage your business without any worries because your external IT provider will keep it protected.

In the end, you also have to be cautious in your search for an external support provider. Conduct your research thoroughly, read through all their testimonial pages, and verify whether their business objectives coincide with yours. To put your mind at ease and to make sure that your business’s technology is in good hands, you can always send us a message and we’ll provide you all the references you need.