Privacy

Over the last year or two Safari users may have gradually become aware that it was asking (on Google's behalf) for their location far too often, to the point of being truly annoying. If you have mindlessly been tapping "OK" for too long and are finally fed up enough to do something about it, there are a couple solutions - you can allow it to use your location in such a way that it won't ask all the time or you can have it never use your location. Here's how to fix it on iPhone or iPad:

Grant access to location

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, is an extra layer of security that many online services now use, including the Apple ID login, Facebook and Twitter among others.

Twitter recently emailed its users about a security breach in which user passwords stored in an internal log were unmasked. Though the bug has been fixed, Twitter suggests users change their passwords and consider turning on login verification. Login verification is Twitter's version of two-factor authentication, which is an extra layer of security that is available for your Apple ID, Facebook and many other online services.

News stories of data breaches, stolen identities, hi-jacked accounts and other cyber-crimes are at this point no more odd than those of fires or car accidents - they occur on a daily basis and don't seem to have any end-all solution in sight, at least not anytime soon. Just as one keeps a fire extinguisher and wears a safety belt for prevention and protection, so should one use every available tool to protect against cyber-crimes. One of the simplest yet most effective tools that can beef up your online security and privacy is two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA.

Security is always (or should be) a primary concern with any information you have online, including data from your social media accounts. Somebody with access to your Facebook account could wreak havoc on it, not just by spamming your friends, but by potentially gaining access to other online accounts and payment methods. With stories like the Cambridge Analytica data breach in the news, privacy and security are once again on the public mind.