To read up on exactly what aspects of your privacy can be compromised by
Location Services and Analytics, click on ‘About...’ within these options.One of the most important steps for securing a Mac is to enable the built-in firewall, which isn’t set up by default. A firewall will
prevent unauthorised apps, programs and services from accepting incoming internet connections, so we recommend you turn it on.Apply a firewall
1
Turn it on
Go to System Preferences>Security &
Privacy and then click on the ‘Firewall’ tab.
Click on the padlock icon to make changes
to these settings and then click on the
‘Turn On Firewall’ button.2
Firewall options
Now click on ‘Firewall Options’ and tick
the ‘Enable stealth mode’ box. This will make
your Mac invisible on public networks. To be
extra vigilant, you could also tick the ‘Block all
incoming connections’ box.3
Restrict connections
You can allow the connections for
certain apps by clicking the ‘+’ icon and
selecting the app. For safety, untick both
of the ‘Automatically allow...’ options and
then simply add specific apps to the list.The final section of your Mac’s Security & Privacy System Preferences relates to all aspects of your personal privacy and includes
Location Services, which allows apps to determine your location, as well as a list of apps that have access to other personal information.Step up your privacy
1
Limit location
In ‘Privacy’, click on ‘Location Services’
and untick any apps, particularly third-party
ones, you don’t wish to share your location
with. You can untick the ‘Enable Location
Services’ option to lock everything down.2
System restrictions
Scroll down to the System Services
option at the bottom of the Location Services
list and click on the ‘Details’ button. Here you
can prevent certain System Services from
determining your location.3
Clear locations
Your Mac learns places that you visit
frequently and updates useful location-related
information. If this makes you feel uneasy,
click on ‘Details’, then click the Settings cog
and choose ‘Clear History’.4
Show indicator
If you want a heads-up every time that
your Mac’s System Services requests your
location then tick the ‘Show location indicator
in menu bar...’ option before clicking ‘Done’
to return to the Privacy settings.5
Work the list
You can now take time to work through
the list of apps and services that request
access to your apps and services, such as
Photos, Camera and Microphone. De-select
any apps you no longer use.6
Deny analytics
To really lock down your privacy, de-select
all items under ‘Analytics & Improvements’.
This is to help Apple and third-party
developers improve their products, but you
don’t have to share anything with them.