Apple Updates iCloud Encryption to Better Protect User Photos

Photo storage options are many but they are not all created equal, particularly when it comes to user data privacy and security.

One of the biggest players in this area is, naturally, Apple, makers of the iPhone among other popular products. Apple owners that use the company’s iCloud for photo cloud backup and storage are getting some beefed-up security features in a bid to make Cupertino’s products the safest on the block.

Called “Advanced Data Protection for iCloud” in the blog post introducing it alongside two other updates, this feature “uses end-to-end encryption to provide Apple’s highest level of cloud data security, users have the choice to further protect important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.”

Citing the need for better security features in a world of ever-evolving threats, Apple explains that “the total number of data breaches more than tripled between 2013 and 2021, exposing 1.1 billion personal records across the globe in 2021 alone.”

Data encrypted using this method can only be accessed on trusted user devices, Apple writes, further highlighting that data protected using the “Advanced Data Protection for iCloud” will be “protected even in the case of a data breach in the cloud.”

That’s some pretty tight security, and could be a real differentiation factor from competitors, although that’s not explicitly mentioned in the blog post. Touted alongside other security updates, it could be Apple just staying ahead of the game more than anything else – a feat that itself takes a lot of dexterity.

Do you use Apple iCloud for photo storage? If not, what is your preferred service? Give us some recommendations, pros, cons, and general opinions on cloud storage for photos in the comments.

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[Apple]