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Should I be worried?
- Thread starter imagineadam
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Safari can suggest for you to use a stronger password if it thinks the one you're using is easy to guess or used on many different websites.. I've had the pop up before..
You need to change those passwords. This is a warning that they were exposed, which has no relationship to you updating your phone.
I highly suggest you start using a password manager and change your passwords immediately. I also encourage you to use 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) when possible on websites. Using the same password on multiple sites is a terrible idea. That is how people get locked out of their accounts, become victims of identity theft and other bad things.
You’re seeing that alert because you’ve got Settings > Passwords > Security Recommendations enabled. I believe it’s enabled by default. It’s a great feature. Even if there was no data leak, the feature will advise which accounts share the same password with a recommendation to make them unique.
I agree with @Apple_Robert about 2FA, and would add that using it for your Apple ID is essential.
I agree with @Apple_Robert about 2FA, and would add that using it for your Apple ID is essential.
Password security recommendations
On devices with iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, Password AutoFill marks a user’s saved passwords as weak, compromised, reused, or leaked.
support.apple.com
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Good point about the Apple ID I forgot to mention. I think it is also a good idea to add more than one trusted phone number to one's Apple account, so that one doesn't get locked out should the main phone be broken or lost.
I’ve never seen such poor grammar from an Apple dialog box. ‘iPhone can help you re-secure your accounts’? I’m guessing that would be pulled from your device name. Just changing it to ’iOS’ would be preferable.
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I wonder where it gets it’s info about my passwords that have appeared in the “data leak”? Does this mean my password specifically has been guessed and it’s just floating around out there maybe? I dunno how this stuff works. Or is Apple just guessing that I could be at risk because I rarely change my passwords? Hmm. Maybe this isn’t as serious as I think.
If a trusted source, such as the OS on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, security software you installed in the past, or a web browser extension you deliberately installed previously, shows you that kind of message, you should take it seriously. Most security software, utilities, and apps now regularly check databases of email addresses that are known to have been compromised in large scale breaches.
Here is information about one widely used database:
en.wikipedia.org
And here is password advice from a well-respected security expert:
www.schneier.com
(I recommend subscribing to Schneier's email newsletter, Crypto-Gram, if you're interested in privacy and security)
Here is information about one widely used database:
Have I Been Pwned? - Wikipedia
And here is password advice from a well-respected security expert:
Choosing Secure Passwords - Schneier on Security
As insecure as passwords generally are, they’re not going away anytime soon. Every year you have more and more passwords to deal with, and every year they get easier and easier to break. You need a strategy. The best way to explain how to choose a good password is to explain how they’re broken...
www.schneier.com
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How to Check for Compromised or Leaked Passwords on iPhone & iPad with Security Recommendations
Have you ever wondered if the passwords to any of your online accounts have been compromised in a data breach? You’re certainly not the only one in that regard, but now you can now check for …
osxdaily.com
It sounds like you used the same email and password for several of your online accounts which is a very bad thing to do. That makes it very easy for you to get hacked. I hope you have rectified that security risk.
This warning means that your password is exposed in hacks and well circulated on the internet. I’d suggest you to use 1Password and change all those passwords to unique ones, don’t share passwords, also enable 2 factor authentication immediately - which is also supported by 1Password and many other apps.