Why does Apple keep locking my account?

javacowboy · March 7, 2021 7:09PM

Every 1-2 months Apple decides to lock my account, forcing me to answer security questions to unlock it.

I occasionally use my MacBook Pro (which is no longer my primary laptop) and my iPhone. My iPad is largely collecting dust.

I use a strong password: 16 characters, mixed case, numbers and symbols. This password I've never shared with anybody, and I use a third party password manager.

It's extremely rare that I venture anywhere with another wifi network, and I haven't used my phone on a public wifi network in lord knows how long.

So what exactly is provoking Apple's algorithms to go nutso on my account and locking it?

This is really irritating!

spheric · March 7, 2021 8:56PM

I really don’t know, but I’d suspect that the email address you use for your Apple ID has been dumped in some database hack and is repeatedly being used together with its associated password from that hack to try and get into your iCloud account, prompting Apple to reset your security verification.

Have you checked to see if your email addy and password have been leaked from some other account?

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

javacowboy · March 7, 2021 9:29PM

spheric said:

I really don’t know, but I’d suspect that the email address you use for your Apple ID has been dumped in some database hack and is repeatedly being used together with its associated password from that hack to try and get into your iCloud account, prompting Apple to reset your security verification.

Have you checked to see if your email addy and password have been leaked from some other account?

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

My email address is definitely used in other accounts, and is definitely on the pwned list, but not my password.

I generated a unique password for my Apple ID. I don't even know what it is. It's stored in my password manager.

If you're right and Apple keeps locking my account because somebody keeps trying and failing to log into my account, then this will continue in perpetuity.

Also, if you're right, then Apple is being incredibly stupid to let keep letting somebody else lock me out of my account.

Either Apple needs to fix this problem, or when it comes time to replace my iPhone I'll choose another platform.

Yes, I realize that Apple does many things well, even security-wise, but this is a deal-breaker for me.

javacowboy · March 7, 2021 9:51PM

OK, I have a stupid question:

If I change the email address that's my username, will Apple send emails to that new email, or to my existing email address.

What I'm thinking is that if I change my email to a secondary email address, especially one not associated with any pwnd databases, that may stop the hacking attempts.

Why does Apple keep locking my account?

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