Apple iCloud is a gift that keeps on giving. It allows you to synchronize – across devices – your photos, documents, passwords and other information. Proper iCloud configuration helps protect your data, simplifies adding new devices and just generally makes your tech life easier, more fun and less frustrating.

Apple is regarded as providing one of the most secure environments for its users. Protection against virus, malware, and other security threats and vulnerabilities is very strong on a Mac (using the MacOS) or on one of the mobile devices (using iOS). More importantly, Apple has worked hard to make that strong security as easy to use and friction-less as possible.

The iCloud service enhances that security experience by enabling password management and sharing across devices. In a future post we will dive deeper into the Keychain application (password management) but first, let’s make sure that you have iCloud set up correctly.

To get the most from anything Apple, including iCloud, you must have an AppleID. An AppleID is your “account” with Apple. Your iCloud account is a service living beneath your AppleID. You log in to iCloud (or AppleTV, Music, Support or any Apple service) using your AppleID email and password. Your AppleID account password should be very strong and saved securely. Read more about strong passwords here.

OK, I have to stop computing and go to the beach. To be continued…