Over the weekend several celebrity accounts were hacked and nude photos of the celebrities were leaked online.

There were many ways the hackers could have gained access to the photos, including via iCloud as well as other cloud services, like Google Drive.

In a statement, Apple said: " To protect against this type of attack, we advise all users to always use a strong password and enable 2-step verification."

Two-step verification is a way for websites to confirm that you are who you say you are when you try to log in. Once you set it up, a site will often text you a verification code to enter when it notices that you're trying to log in from a new computer.

In addition to iCloud, two-step verification is offered by Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.

And turning it on for your Google accounts is dead simple (and if you're using an Android phone, you can set it up right from your device). Here's how to do it:

Go to your account settings page.

Google account More

Screenshot

Click on Security.

Google security More

Screenshot

Click on where it says "Setup" to set up two-step verification.

Google 2 step More

Screenshot

It will then ask you to set a phone number to receive your authentication code.

Google phone code More

Screenshot

Google will then text or call you with a code. Enter it on the next screen.

Google phone verify More

Screenshot



You're almost done. Google will then ask you to verify that the computer you're using is a trusted machine.

Google trusted computer More

Screenshot



And, finally, you'll be asked if you want to turn on two-step verification. Click "Confirm."

Google 2-factor confirm More

Screenshot





Some apps don't work with two-step (also called two-factor) verification, such as Mail on your iPhone or iPad. If you get an error that says something is wonky with your password, you can use an app-specific password, which Google will generate and provide.

You don't have to memorize the 16-digit code either. You'll usually just have to enter the special code once for each app.



NOW WATCH: 10 Things You Didn't Know Your iPhone Could Do





More From Business Insider





