4 digit pin nos and security

Bachelor wrote:
I was wondering if a 4 digit PIN is used on your computer or iPad to access it, what happens if there are too many failed attempts? Does the device lock up and can't be used? Hopefully, that's the case since an associate had laptop and iPad stolen, both using 4 digit PINs.

I do not do I-stuff but one of two things happens

1: you have a temporary lockout

2: you have to use the full password you used before you set up the PIN.

3: On chromebooks you can do a "Factory Reset" (Power wash) restores it to "Brand new" which means you start over. you also lose anything stored on the internal memory When I Say Brand New I mean the day you first opened the box.

A 4-number PIN gives you 10,000 different combinations. Pretty unlikely to guess the correct combination in 10 tries.

wildtoad wrote:
According to Apple, If you setup a passcode there are two things that could happen. One is after 10 failed attempts the device will lock, and you will then have to restore from the latest backup from iTunes. Not clear if an iCloud backup will work. Two, if you also deflected erase data, then the device will be erased.

I would suggest that people use more than 4 digts. (Something you can remember)

Some devices allow only a 4 digit PIN. My Android tablet is that way.

If they had “find my iPhone” turned on, they can log in to iCloud.com and remote wipe them. If powered up they can also be tracked until the thief wipes them after which there is no more risk anyway.

According to Apple, If you setup a passcode there are two things that could happen. One is after 10 failed attempts the device will lock, and you will then have to restore from the latest backup from iTunes. Not clear if an iCloud backup will work. Two, if you also deflected erase data, then the device will be erased.

I would suggest that people use more than 4 digts. (Something you can remember)

That's why I always scratch the pin numbers into the back of the phone :P

https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending-now/toddler-locks-ipad-for-25-million-minutes-after-repeatedly-trying-to-unlock-it/938554633

A 3-year-old gave his father a big headache over the weekend when he tried to unlock an iPad.

It seems the toddler entered the wrong password so many times the device locked up, displaying a message that it was “disabled,” according to Evan Osnos.

“Try again in 25,536,442 minutes,” a message on the screen read. That’s a half century.

My Samsung phone after a set number of incorrect tries completely factory resets the phone....wiping out everything.

Bachelor wrote:
I was wondering if a 4 digit PIN is used on your computer or iPad to access it, what happens if there are too many failed attempts? Does the device lock up and can't be used? Hopefully, that's the case since an associate had laptop and iPad stolen, both using 4 digit PINs.

For fact, in iPads: What happens after 10 failed restriction passcode attempts on iPhone? Seven failed attempts gives you 5 minutes, eight gives 15, and nine 1 hour. After ten failed attempts, the system will either lock you out completely or erase your data, depending on what you had set it to do. Once locked out, you will need to sync with iTunes to restore, so make sure you have current backups, or are backing up to iCloud.

Not sure about that for Apple devices. I think most PCs with hardware locks will allow a few cracks at the code then lock up for a period of time. Then you start trying again. If the laptop hard drive isn't encrypted thieves may remove it and access the data from their own laptops like accessing an external hard drive.