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A sophisticated but alarming technique for seizing control of an iPhone user's device and locking them out permanently looks to be on the rise.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal investigation, some iPhone thieves are taking advantage of a security feature called the recovery key that makes it nearly impossible for owners to access their images, texts, data, and more. Some victims also told the publication that when the crooks acquired access to their financial applications, their bank accounts had been plundered. It's crucial to remember that this kind of takeover is challenging to execute. It calls for either a criminal to see an iPhone user enter the device's passcode -- say, by peering over their shoulder at a bar or sporting event -- or coercing the owner of the device into sharing their passcode. All of this is done before the gadget is actually taken.

Then, with the help of the device's passcode, a thief may alter the Apple ID associated with it, disable "Find my iPhone" so their whereabouts cannot be monitored, and reset the recovery key, a challenging 28-digit code designed to shield its users from online hackers.

In an effort to increase user security, Apple requires this key to help reset or regain access to an Apple ID. However, if a thief changes it, the original owner will not have the new code and will be locked out of the account. In a statement, an Apple representative stated, "We sympathize with people who have had this experience and we take all attacks on our users very seriously, no matter how rare." "We work incredibly hard every day to safeguard the accounts and data of our users, and we're constantly looking into new defenses against emerging threats like this one."

You are in charge of keeping up access to your trusted devices and your recovery key, Apple cautions on its website. You risk having your account permanently locked out if you misplace both of these items.

Users can currently take a few precautions to perhaps shield themselves from this happening to them, though.

Keep the passcode secure

Protecting the passcode is the first step. People can use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock their phones in public without disclosing their passcode to anyone who might be observing. Users can also create a lengthier, more difficult-to-guess alphanumeric passcode. If an owner suspects that someone else knows the passcode, he or she should change it right away.

Setting for Screen Time

A hack that has been spreading online but isn't necessarily approved by Apple is another step someone might think about taking. There is an option to set up a secondary password that would be necessary for any user before they could successfully update an Apple ID within an iPhone's Screen Time setting, which enables parents to place limitations on how children can use the device. A thief would be requested for the backup password if this was enabled before they could change an Apple ID password.

Regular phone backup

Users can further safeguard themselves by routinely backing up their iPhones using iTunes or iCloud so that data can be recovered in the event that an iPhone is stolen. Users may also want to think about using a different cloud service, such as Google Photos, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon Photos, or Dropbox, to store sensitive documents and files.

This won't prevent a bad actor from accessing the device, but it should lessen some of the consequences if it does.