Apple Inc. is implementing tougher security to ensure that its iCloud service can protect its users better despite the fact that the Cupertino-based company's CEO has denied on Friday that the said service played a part in the massive nude photos leak of female celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Lea Michelle among others, Tom's Guide has learned.
Cook detailed what the company is aiming for its security notifications in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
According to him, Apple will not only implement stricter security in two weeks' time, the company will also work on improving customer awareness about online security.
The CEO maintained that hackers may have gained access to the female celebrities' accounts by correctly guessing their passwords after answering the security questions or by means of phishing emails that trick people into divulging their Apple IDs and passwords.
In the same interview, Cook said that to ensure that the massive photos leak won't happen again, Apple will notify users every time someone is attempting to change their passwords, restore their iCloud data to a different device or access their accounts using a new device for the first time, noted China Topix.
Additionally, Apple's next iOS is said to offer 2-factor authentication for iCloud, which basically adds another token of identity to the log-in process.
What this 2-factor authentication does is send a text message containing a temporary PIN after the legitimate account owner enters his password into his device. This mechanism is also being used by Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, among others.
Cook also gushed that Apple will now work on properly educating users on the significance of having tighter security on their devices.
"When I step back from this terrible scenario that happened and say what more could we have done, I think about the awareness piece ... I think we have a responsibility to ratchet that up," Cook said.
"I think we have a responsibility to ratchet that up. That's not really an engineering thing," he added.
Apple's decision to tighten its security service comes a week after the massive celebrity nude photos leak surfaced online.
Hollywood celebrities who are victims of the leak include "Hunger Games" actress Jennifer Lawrence, "Glee" star Lea Michele, Nickelodeon talent Victoria Justice, "Problem" hit maker Ariana Grande, model Kate Upton and many others.