Apple begins worldwide rollout of two-step verification system

Apple recently introduced its two-step identification verification system to at least 13 new countries as part of a worldwide rollout, with Apple ID account holders in those nations now granted access to the heightened security feature first deployed in March.

Users from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands and Russia are reporting the appearance of Apple's new two-step verification feature, which was previously limited to the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

It is unclear if additional countries have seen activations, as Apple's FAQ page has yet to be updated to reflect the new availability.

With two-step verification enabled, any time any time a user signs in to the My Apple ID webpage to make changes, or purchases content from iTunes on a new device, they are prompted to enter their password and a 4-digit verification code. The code is sent to a trusted device, such as an iPhone or iPad, through the Find My Phone app. Owners of other handsets receive codes via SMS text message.

A recovery key is provided in the event that the phone tied to the account is lost or stolen.

While not a completely foolproof security solution, the additional step provides an added safeguard against malicious users or attempts to break into a user's Apple ID.