Here's a handy piece of information that just came out in issue 159 of iCreate, the magazine for everything Apple. I get the digital issue for quite a bit less than the printed issue. If there's anything that you want to know about any Apple product - and some 3rd party products - iCreate is the magazine to subscribe to. The following points are excerpts from iCreate: 5 Ways Apple Protects Your Data 1. Encryption as default In contrast to Android devices, every new iPhone shipped is encrypted by default ... (Even hidden from Apple engineers)

2. Local Data While some of your stuff is backed up to iCloud, a lot of data - included in Siri searches, location history, and other sensitive information - is stored locally on your Apple device ... (Not beamed anywhere else)

3. Secure Element Since 2014, iPhones (and the Apple Watch) have had an integrated Secure Element ... (Transactions can't be spoofed)

4. Encrypted Communications As with the data on your iPhone, data transmitted between contacts in iMessage and FaceTime is fully encrypted ... (Wiretapping is impossible even by the government)

5. ICloud Security Unlike Google, Apple doesn't mine your email or searches to provide targeted advertising. ... (Just make sure your password is a good one)

To see the full story, you'll have to subscribe to the magazine (sorry). Download the free iCreate app in the App Store or purchase a subscription to iCreate using Zinio. Imagine Publishing offers several additional digital magazines that you might find interesting.

John R Carter, Sr.