Two-step verification will require you to verify your identity using one of your devices before you can make changes to your account or make an iTunes or App Store purchase from a new device. You will also get a Recovery Key for safekeeping which you can use to access your account if you ever forget your password or lose your device.

Be safe out there: f-secure.com/static/doc/lab…

— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) March 7, 2013

All of the recent hacks we have heard about involve Java and it’s simply just not safe to have running on your machine. Read this great article from Macworld to learn how to remove it!

On July 27, seemingly out of nowhere, security company AuthenTec announced in a regulatory filing that it had agreed to a $356 million acquisition offer from Apple, making it one of the Apple’s biggest mergers in its 36 year history.

Terms of the deal included provisions for the company’s patents, control of its fingerprint sensors, touchchips and security technologies, but much of the detail was missing from AuthenTec’s document at the time.

However, with the recent filing of a PREM14A proxy statement with the SEC (a document which notifies shareholders of the deal and how it was finalised, allowing them to vote on whether it should be completed), the security firm has shed more light on why Apple decided to acquire the company.

If you are interested in the technology that could be embedded in Apple’s new iPhone (or the rumored 7.85-inch iPad) then you should definitely read on.

Apple has released a detailed security guide for its iOS operating system, an unprecedented move for a company known for not discussing the technical details of its products, let alone the security architecture. The document lays out the system architecture, data protection capabilities and network security features in iOS, most of which had been known before but hadn’t been publicly discussed by Apple. You can download the free PDF here.

With sales of the iPhone and iPad booming and an ever-increasing number of app and music downloads via the App Store and iTunes, the number of attacks on Apple accounts has also risen.

Some have found their accounts compromised and expensive (often Chinese) apps purchased, mostly because their accounts were secured with a simple password or they had been the subject of a previous phishing attempt.

In the past 24 hours, Apple appears to have started prompting iOS devices owners and those with Apple IDs within iTunes to make their accounts more secure, requiring them to pick three security questions and enter their answers when they download a new app.

The company is also asking users to enter a backup email address, in order to better protect their device but also their account (which is tied to Apple’s Retail website and all of its media services). (Read More)

 Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Java 1.6.0_29, the most serious of which may allow an untrusted Java applet to execute arbitrary code outside the Java sandbox. Visiting a web page containing a maliciously crafted untrusted Java applet may lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user. These issues are addressed by updating to Java version 1.6.0_31. Further information is available via the Java website at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/releasenotes-136954.html

VirusBarrier X6 from Intego, the leading Mac security specialist, offers thorough protection from viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and all other known Mac malware. Follow the link in this post and use coupon code  INTEGO10 and save $10!! Coupon code valid until 6/1/12.

Lock Me Now is free in the Mac App Store. It lets you quickly and easily lock your Mac’s screen, and set a keyboard shortcut.

Once installed, a small lock will appear in the menu bar. Click it and select “Lock” to have your Mac use the fast user switching method of displaying the OS X login screen. This will display the login screen while keeping your opened applications and documents intact. Just log back in to see your stuff just as you left it.