Do I need an icloud keychain? What credit card information is stored in iCloud Keychain? Recovering Escrow Data

One of the new iOS functions 7 is a bunch iCloud keys(iCloud Keychain). The service allows you to save account data and numbers credit cards in the cloud for later automatic filling as needed. Convenience is complemented by a serious level of security - iCloud Keychain uses 256-bit AES encryption.

iCloud Keychain is set up when you activate a new device, however, if you missed this step, then you will have to refer to the settings.

How to activate iCloud Keychain

Step 1. Go to Settings -> iCloud

Step 2: Select an item Bunch of keys

Step 3: Set the switch to active mode

Step 4. Wait for the operation to complete on the server and enter the four-digit security code

Step 5: Select your country and enter the number mobile phone. You can enter your number or that of a trusted friend or relative.

Step 6: Enter Apple password ID to complete creation Keychains

After completing this operation, Keychain will become active for your device, and verification code will allow you to control the process of saving data.

Now, whenever you enter any credentials in Safari, you will be prompted to save them to Keychain Access. The next time after this procedure is approved, you will no longer need to enter cumbersome logins and passwords - they will be entered automatically.

Today I decided to make a review article about the keychain, since the last time our site mentioned it was back in 2013. It was at that moment that it appeared in iOS 7. But now almost 4 years have passed and we are in waiting for iOS 11, so it's time to make up-to-date instructions on the Keychain with questions and answers.

What is iCloud Keychain?

iCloud Keychain - this is a functionality that allows you to securely store secret data (logins, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) in the system and in the cloud.

The data in the keychain is encrypted with a powerful 256-bit AES encryption. Thanks to the use of iCloud technology, data is kept up to date across different devices.

The keychain helps not only store data, but also enter this data for the user.

And now simple example which shows Keychain work even for non-technically savvy users.

A user visits a website (for example, Odnoklassniki) in Safari on an iPhone. He has a login and password there. He enters them manually. The system offers to save the data in the Keychain. If the user agrees, the data goes into a special file. The user decides to log into Odnoklassniki on the iPad. It opens the site in Safari. The iOS system takes data from the same special file and fills in the login and password fields. The user just has to click on the Login button. Thus, the user does not need to not only enter a password, but also remember it. A bunch of keys does this for him.

How to set up Keychain Access?

After you update iOS to the most current version, the special assistant will ask you to set up Keychain. The setup is also possible if you have just purchased a new device and are trying to activate it under your (possibly new) account.

Settings->YOUR NAME (at the very top) ->iCloud->Keychain Access.

Turn on the iCloud Keychain slider. Follow the system instructions. If this is your first device under this Apple ID account, then Keychain will simply turn on. If the device is not the first, then you need to confirm the inclusion.

Typically you need to enter iCloud Security Code. After this you need to enter special code, which comes to your other device, which is linked to the Apple ID (if it’s an iPhone, then an SMS is sent to the number linked to the account).

At the same time, a special message appears on the other device asking you to enter your Apple ID password.

Contact details And My details- these two items allow you to specify a contact from the settings that will be used to fill out various forms. That is, you can add yourself to the application Contacts, Enter your email, phone number and other details there. In the future, if a site asks for an email, autofill will do it for you.

Names and passwords- it’s not clear how it works, but judging by the description, it allows you to view and delete passwords in the “Accounts and Passwords” settings (more on this below). The trick is that turning it on and off, I didn’t notice any difference in functionality.

Credit cards- enable saving of embedded maps on websites. In this case, the system will still ask whether to save the card to the Keychain or not.

Saved credit cards(you can log in only with a password or via Touch ID) - here you can view or add cards that are used to pay for purchases on the Internet.

What is iCloud Security Code?

When you first set up Keychain, the system asks you to create an iCloud Security Code (usually a 4-6 digit code). If you skip this step (and you can), the keychain will be stored locally on your device. There is no talk of any synchronization with other devices.

Security code iCloud is better remember everything (or write it down in a safe place). Using it, you can approve Keychain Access on other devices. iCloud Security Code can help you even if you lose all the devices on which Keychain was set up.

If you enter the wrong iCloud security code several times in a row, Keychain Access will be deactivated. Access can only be restored using Apple technical support, but they do not have access to the code, so the most that technical support can do is give you a chance for a few more attempts. If all of them fail, the Keychain will be removed from iCloud.

Using iCloud in practice

We go to the site where we want to register. Let's go to the Registration section. Enter your login and password. The system itself will offer to Save the password in the Keychain.

You can then go to the site and instead of entering data, click the "Autofill Password" link.

Or the system itself fills in the login and password. In any case, the data in the form will be on a yellow background:

If there are several passwords/logins on the site, you can click on the “Passwords” link above the keyboard. Keychain will prompt you to choose required login. You can also delete the saved password here.

How to view logins and passwords in Keychain Access

On iOS and Mac OS, you can view logins and passwords in Keychain Access.

IN iOS this is done in Settings->Accounts and passwords->Passwords for programs and sites. You can only log in using Touch ID or an Apple ID password.

Need to find required account and poke it. In the Password field you can see in open form password, and in Username - login for the site. Passwords and logins can be changed here.

On Mac OS, viewing your keychain is also not difficult. There is a special application “Bind of Keys”. In it we look for the desired site and click on the line twice.

Check the box “Show password” and the system will ask for a password. account computer administrator. We enter the password and see the required password.

For each account there is unique settings access. As a rule, it is better not to touch these settings:

An experienced user will immediately understand from the screenshot that here you can add an application that can access an object in the Keychain Access.

Questions and answers about the Keychain

What are the requirements for Keychain?

Keychain Access is available starting with iOS 7.0.3 and OS X Mavericks 10.9. Some additional requirements Keychain does not apply to the device.

Is storing data in Keychain secure?

In theory it is absolutely safe. Because the data is encrypted and inaccessible even to Apple (this statement can only be taken on faith).

What data does the Credit Card Keychain store?

Card number, First name, Last name and expiration date. CVC code with reverse side Keychain does not save cards.

Are there any alternatives to Keychain?

Yes, there are tons of apps. The main thing is to find one that is popular and has long proven itself. For example, 1Password does the same thing as Keychain. The application is constantly updated and has a lot of fans. Keychain Access is a free built-in alternative for users Apple products. If you have multi-platform connections, for example: iPhone-Windows or Android-Mac, then it makes sense to choose an alternative.

Sometimes Keychain Access prompts you to generate a password. Why not always?

According to information from the Apple website, the password generator does not work on all sites.

How many people today trust computers and smartphones? Almost all of them store photos, location information, often credit card data and codes, and countless passwords.

The latter are the main security mechanism on the Internet; they store access to everything that the user would probably like to hide, which means they must be advanced and difficult to select. The number of such passwords accumulates, exceeds a hundred, and now no one is able to remember them.

To protect and securely store all this information, Apple came up with a tool called Keychain.

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At its core, it is a password manager developed by Apple specifically for its operating system. This tool was introduced with the release of Mac OS 8th iteration, released in 1998. After this utility has been part of every Apple release, including OS X and iOS (referred to as “iCloud Keychain” since 2013).

On Mac it is capable of storing data of various types, for example: passwords from websites, FTP servers, SSH accounts, shared networks, wireless networks, hidden notes, general software and hardware, as well as for certificates and encrypted disk images.

Product history

Initially, a similar mechanism was used in the PowerTalk application, which was mail client from Apple. The application was created back in the early 90s, and Keychain helped control all user data from the various email services that PowerTalk could connect to.

Due to the use of encryption, passwords were difficult to remember and recover. Therefore, a mechanism was needed that would allow the user to enter only one password (the master password), which would allow access to all mail services (each of which has its own login data and passwords).

This idea, despite its obviousness and usefulness, practically died the moment Apple decided to stop supporting PowerTalk. But with the return of Steve Jobs this function returned to and worked not only in one program, but also in the entire system.

Storage and Access

In operating rooms Mac systems 10th generation and older, all Keychain files are stored in a special directory of the system; this data can also be found in special application, which is located in the “Utilities” folder.

Keychain Access is free and open source software ( source utilities available in free access), which is distributed under a public license Apple.

The Keychain file stores a lot of information, only notes and passwords are encrypted, everything else (names, links) is available to everyone.

Locking and Unlocking

By default, the Keychain file is protected by the same password, so the function becomes available immediately after logging in with your username and password. If necessary, it can be installed separately for this function.

Also, for greater security, you can set a blocking interval, for example, 15 minutes. In this case, if the computer has not been used for 15 minutes, when you try to use Keychain, it will require a password.

"Bunch of keys

This product Apple announced 15 years after the appearance of the original Keychain. In 2013, at the WWDC conference, along with iOS 7 version and OS X Mavericks, a technology was presented that allows you to synchronize all classified user data and securely store it.

This option is a kind of online storage that contains all user data, which includes: passwords from web pages, passwords from wireless networks, account information and credit card payment data (with the exception of security codes - CVV).

All this data is encrypted using the AES 256-bit standard and is available only to a specific user and only in applications adapted to work with this utility (they send a request to Safari, the browser checks the matches of the links and offers the application a password previously saved in the system).

The service’s capabilities also include composing long, complex and secure passwords for sites on which the user registers.

"Bunch of keys

Getting started with iCloud Keychain is not at all difficult, but first of all you need to make sure that iOS 7.0.3 and later is installed on your gadget (smartphone or tablet), and OS X 10.9 and later is installed on your computer.

Setting up iCloud Keychain (instructions for Mac):

• First you need to launch “Settings” (either from apple menu, which is hidden behind the apple icon in the upper left corner, or from the Dock).
• Select the iCloud submenu.
• Enter a password to unlock your computer.
• Enter Apple data ID.

How to add a credit card to Keychain (instructions for Mac):

• Safari must be launched.
• Then go to the settings of this program.
• In the settings, select the Autofill submenu.
• Next to the “Credit Cards” sub-item, find the “Edit” button.
• Click on the “Add” button and enter your credit card information.

How to set up iCloud Keychain (instructions for iOS):

• Select the iCloud submenu.
• Then the sub-item "Keychain".
• Move the iCloud Keychain toggle switch to the ON position. Accordingly, to turn off you need to carry out reverse action, switch the toggle switch to the OFF position.
• After this you will be asked to come up with New Password or enter an existing one (iCloud Keychain security code for activation), as well as attach third-party gadgets for confirmation.

• You need to launch Settings from the Home screen.
• Select the Safari submenu.
• Then the sub-item Password & AutoFill.
• Enter the password code.
• Select the Saved Credit Cards submenu.
• Add a credit card (enter necessary information and click “Done”).

Password synchronization

Synchronizing data in Keychain Access is not a required option. Moreover, you can synchronize data bypassing iCloud (only on Mac computers).

To avoid synchronizing data with the cloud and subsequently storing it there, when activating the Keychain, you need to skip the step of creating a six-digit verification code. In this case, all data will be stored only on physical media,locally.

It is also possible to synchronize data using files stored in /Library/Keychains/. Typically this is used in corporate networks and if there are several shared computers Mac. Unfortunately, synchronization often disappears when changing the password in the system on one of the devices (including Windows).

Access to "Keychain"

Before you receive all the information stored in the cloud, you must confirm the iCloud Keychain. This can be done with via SMS or a second device.

In the first case, the user will receive a randomly generated passcode to confirm their identity or fully activate the iCloud Keychain feature. You can confirm from another device if the user has a gadget on which this function already works.

Security code

This is a special cipher consisting of 6 digits or a complicated alphanumeric combination, which is necessary in order to gain access to passwords and cards stored in the Keychain, as well as in case of loss of access to it.

Possible problems

Nothing is perfect, not even iCloud Keychain. No, we're talking about not about security holes or data loss, but there are many problems associated with connecting this function and regaining access after updating, resetting and setting up a new device. A list of the most common questions and problems is presented below.

“iCloud Keychain” could not be set up due to the lack of an SMS code? If for some reason you do not receive an SMS message with a password code, you must:

• Check your cellular network connection.
• Make sure your phone is capable of receiving SMS ( tariff plan And installed SIM card support this feature).
• Check if the number is indicated to receive the SMS code. To do this, in the “Keychain” settings, find the “Advanced” sub-item and indicate the correct number in the “Verification number” item.

iCloud Keychain does not sync data between devices. In this case it almost always helps complete shutdown and enabling the function. This must be done on all devices. After re-enabling, they will all receive the most current data from the server and continue to work as usual.

Can't find passwords saved in iCloud Keychain? Data about them and credit cards stored in the cloud can be found as follows:

• Go to Settings from the Home screen.
• Select the Safari submenu.
• Then the sub-item Passwords.
• The system will require you to enter a password or use Touch ID (fingerprint sensor) to confirm your identity.
• After checking, you can select any site and see the password for it.

Safari does not save data to Keychain Access and does not offer password guessing. This problem can be solved by activating the “Names and Passwords” toggle switch in the “Autofill” submenu in Safari settings.

Supported devices

iCloud Keychain is supported on all current Apple devices. These include all computers that run on an operating system. macOS systems Mavericks generation and newer (almost all PCs manufactured in 2007 and newer).

This function also works on a number of mobile devices(all on which you can install a mobile operating system version 7.0.3). These include: iPhone from the 4th generation and newer, iPad from the 2nd generation and newer, from the 5th generation and newer.

Keychain Access is a manager of account names, passwords, and credit card information that allows values ​​entered once on one device to be stored on another using iCloud. With its help, you can get rid of the need to enter the same thing to log in to websites or pay for goods and services through Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac computers. Whether or not to trust your data to Apple’s cloud service is an individual matter for everyone. However, you must be aware that all of them are stored on the company’s servers in encrypted form and cannot be viewed by company employees.

So how do you set up and use the Keychain feature on iPhone and iPad on iOS 7?

1. Go to the “Settings” application of the iOS 7 operating system:

2. Go to the iCloud section:

3. Go to the “Keychain Access” menu:

4. Move the function enable switch to the active position (you may need to enter your Apple ID account password):

5. Create, enter and repeat the iCloud security code to restrict access to the Keychain function:

6. Select your country of residence, enter your phone number and confirm the data by clicking the “Next” button:

7. Now, when entering account or credit card data on Internet pages in Safari, the user will be offered the opportunity to save them for later access from other devices:

Thus, by setting up the Keychain feature on all your devices, you can get rid of the need to enter your account information on numerous services over and over again, entering it only once on one of the devices linked to one Apple ID.

Hello everyone, dear readers. Today I will tell you what the notorious iCloud Keychain is, how to activate it and how to use it. First, let me define what iCloud Keychain is.

iCloud Keychain – cloud service from Apple, called iCloud Keychain. Serves to store users' personal data in encrypted form. Personal data can be considered logins and passwords, as well as security codes from credit cards + certificates that you use in Apple services.

The question quite naturally arises: how safe is it to use for data safety? this service. According to the company, all data is stored in encrypted form and only the owner of the data can access it; Apple employees do not have access to your data.

Activate this mode you can directly from your Apple device, such as an iPad or iPhone. I will point to iPad example, but there is no difference between activating the mode on an iPhone or iPad.

Activation

Follow the steps below to successfully activate the required service:

Subsequently, you will be able to synchronize information from this service with other devices: both based on the operating iOS systems, as well as Mac OS.

Settings

Now let's set it up automatic saving important data in the iCloud Keychain service entered in Safari browser:

1. First of all, you need to go to the device settings and select the Safari section, and then go to the item – passwords;
2. In the field that opens, you need to check the “Names and Passwords” section.

After completing the above operation, all your passwords, logins and other data entered in the Safari browser will be saved, at your request, to the cloud iCloud service Keychain.

Some tips for working with this described function:

1. If you cannot configure or activate the links, you need to update the operating system to the latest version and also check your Internet connection;
2. You can view all saved passwords, for this you need to: go to settings, then to the Safari section, Passwords, saved passwords;
3. This service may not save passwords for some websites because... such sites, for security reasons, prohibit storing any data;
4. I recommend you use this tool– a bunch of keys – only for Apple mobile device without jailbreak. Because Using this feature with a jailbreak may be unsafe.