Forced to reset Apple ID password

[Dormammu]

so the strangest thing happened.

I took a nap with my Apple Watch on and my iPhone on the table next to me.

I woke up to my Apple Watch alarm going off. I picked up my phone to check a couple things. The display said something along the lines of "too many login attempts have been made to your Apple ID, you must create a new a passcode." So I did. Everything is working good now.

Why on earth did it say I had too many attempted logins??? I was literally asleep. Not sure what spurred this. My paranoid self thinks maybe someone tried to hack me/an unauthorized user happened to try and login to my account in that 20 min I was asleep???

 

[maflynn]

Why on earth did it say I had too many attempted logins?

sounds like someone tried to log into your icloud account and it locked itself out.

 

[Dormammu]

sounds like someone tried to log into your icloud account and it locked itself out.

That's a terrifying thought. Good to know they couldn't (?) given the prompt I got.
The time I did get locked out my my iCloud account though they disabled my iCloud account all together and I had to call in the unlock it.

This simply called for a password reset. Isn't that odd?

Is it worth calling Apple to see if they can provide any details?

 

[Newtons Apple]

That's a terrifying thought. Good to know they couldn't (?) given the prompt I got.
The time I did get locked out my my iCloud account though they disabled my iCloud account all together and I had to call in the unlock it.

This simply called for a password reset. Isn't that odd?

Is it worth calling Apple to see if they can provide any details?

Apple would give you no details. Stuff like this is happening too often. People are buying "new" phones that are already tied to another Apple ID.

The users will be the last to know!

 

[maflynn]

This simply called for a password reset. Isn't that odd?

No, they just tried to log into your icloud account too many times, I don't think they needed access to your phone. Same thing happend to my boss, partly because she was using her iPhone on a public wifi and evidently someone was sniffing, so they tried to log in using her id on another computer/phone and it locked out her account

 

[Dormammu]

Apple would give you no details. Stuff like this is happening too often. People are buying "new" phones that are already tied to another Apple ID.

The users will be the last to know!

No, they just tried to log into your icloud account too many times, I don't think they needed access to your phone. Same thing happend to my boss, partly because she was using her iPhone on a public wifi and evidently someone was sniffing, so they tried to log in using her id on another computer/phone and it locked out her account

Is there anything I could have done to prevent this or prevent myself from making myself a target? I obviously don't parade around my iCloud information (and FWIW I was sleeping at home and on my own Wifi, not public).
Anything I can do going forward?

 

[maflynn]

Is there anything I could have done to prevent this or prevent myself from making myself a target?

No, but if you turn of two factor authentication, that will help you protect your account. The good news is they tried and failed to access your account (hence the locking out)

 

[silverblack]

Is there anything I could have done to prevent this or prevent myself from making myself a target? I obviously don't parade around my iCloud information (and FWIW I was sleeping at home and on my own Wifi, not public).
Anything I can do going forward?

Whoever did this may have obtained your Apple ID login email a while ago. They just happen to be "hacking" at the time you were sleeping.

There are so many ways to expose your information on the internet. If you really want to learn more, google along the line of email hacking, internet scam, protect identity on internet.

 

[Dormammu]

No, but if you turn of two factor authentication, that will help you protect your account. The good news is they tried and failed to access your account (hence the locking out)

How do I activate two factor authentication?

 

[jianrong]

Would like to know too

 

[Floris]

I am always paranoid about this.

When I get a strange message like this, the first thing I do is get my 1Password and login to my email account. Change the password and security questions to unique random, long and strong, passwords and garbage.

Just in case they sneaked in there, and are using 'recovery' to get access to anything. This way I can then focus on the problem of say Apple ID, or whatever 'strange' thing is going on.

In this case I'd manually browse to Apple's account page and make sure the emails listed are verified and mine, and not outdated, etc. Then change the password as soon as possible, make sure 2 step or 2 factory auth is turned on, and check for any weird data like unknown device, etc.

It is a hassle, you waste time and have to make an effort. And then your computers and devices start blowing up with questions to log back into app store, icloud, etc.

But I rather be a little bit more cautious and paranoid, and take quick preventive but controlled steps, than chase a ghost and not realise it's not just my apple-id they've gained access to.

Whether the email is real or not, or there was a glitch, or not. Or if someone gained access or not. Or if it was just a 5x failed login thingy or not. I rather be certain and know I am the only one who has access 'from this point forward' to my email accounts and apple id.

One thing I learned during compromise is that if I see something is 'off', I simple take a screenshot of it. Because remembering five minutes later what the name was of 'someone's iPad Pro connected to your ..' and them deleting that email before you could secure it, .. now at least you have a screenshot saying 'someones' name on it. Helping you fight back later a bit, especially when you end up taking them to court for unauthorized computer access.
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How do I activate two factor authentication?

First you change the password, and security questions. So you know only you have access to your Apple ID .
Then before you can turn on 2fa, you have to wait a few days. You can turn it on from apple'd apple-id page.

 

[eyoungren]

How do I activate two factor authentication?

Would like to know too

Login here: https://appleid.apple.com/

In the Security section, click on Edit. Down towards the bottom of the Security section click on Turn On Two Step Verification.

 

[Applejuiced]

Always use a strong password with small letters, caps, numbers and special characters. And use 2 step verification.