It’s reputed to be one of the most secure devices on the market, but don’t take that for granted – the iPad can still be left vulnerable without due care from its owner. Here are our tips to make your iPad as safe as possible.

1. Creating a strong passcode and encrypting your data

The first action you should take is to create a strong passcode, so if your iPad does fall into the wrong hands, they won’t gain automatic access to your data. This passcode also enables data encryption. You should go a step further and select the strong passcode option since the 4-digit numeric passcode is not effective enough – instead, you should create a complex password, containing a variety of letters, characters and numbers.

2. Enable Data Wipe on Failed Passcode setting

If you have data on your iPad that you really wouldn’t want to fall into the wrong hands, there’s a feature you can enable to wipe it should someone enter an incorrect passcode too many times. You’ll find the option to enable this when setting up your passcode: In the Settings App, select the General menu and then click on ‘Passcode Lock’; At the bottom, switch the ‘Erase Data’ option to ‘On’ – you’ll need to read the warning that comes up and then select the ‘Enable’ button.

BEWARE: If you have kids who could get their hands on your iPad and start playing around with it, it may not be wise for you to set up this feature – a child could quite easily mess around with it and enter a passcode incorrectly more than ten times, and just like that, all your data will be gone!

3. Lojack your iPad

Another security essential to take care of straight away is to enable the ‘Find My iPad’ app. You’ll also need to enable location services for this to work. If you ever lose your iPad, or it is stolen, this feature will allow it to be located, providing it is connected to a wireless network so that it can communicate with Apple’s services.

4. Use WiFi securely

If you’re going to access a wireless network away from home, make sure you do so with caution. Only connect to a WiFi network you know is secure, since otherwise, your activity could be subject to “eavesdropping”. If in doubt, leave it out – or at the very least, limit what you do on a network you aren’t 100 per cent sure about, avoiding emailing, online shopping and banking.

Ultimately, the most secure way to work on public WiFi is through the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which will channel all your traffic through a secure server. There are a number of affordable services you can buy into for this. Finally, when you’re not using your WiFi, disable it to save the life of your battery and enhance security