The first steps that will safeguard your Mac and your data for online activity
Master basic macOS security
1
Lock your Mac
Many security features are
irrelevant once someone has physical
access to your Mac, including a thief.
Keep them out. In Apple > System Prefs >
Security & Privacy > General, you should
have a login password set up for your user
account, and ensure “Require password”
is checked and set to Immediately.
4
Cancel Java
A few apps still require Java
— which is different from JavaScript,
commonly used online — on your Mac,
but it’s a bit of a security nightmare.
You can install it from java.com, manage
it in System Prefs > Java, and turn it on
in Safari > Prefs > Websites if you really
need to — but if you don’t, well... don’t.
2
Heed the Gatekeeper
In the same place, no matter
what is selected for “Allow apps
downloaded from”, you can still open
apps from unidentified developers: Ctrl–
click one in Finder and pick Open, then
click Open on the warning dialog. But
think twice, and never enter your admin
username and password if you’re unsure.5
Secure online accounts
iCloud and many third–party
online services now offer 2FA (two–factor
authentication), requiring “something you
know” (login details) and “something you
have” (typically your iPhone, or a small
device that generates a key code). Enable
it unless you have a good reason not to;
it makes your accounts harder to hack.3
Look for the lock
Many web addresses start
with “https://” rather than “http://”,
meaning they use SSL to encrypt data
exchanged with them. A padlock in
Safari’s search bar confirms it. Don’t
enter sensitive data if this is missing.
If it’s there, it just means the connection
is secure, not that the site owner is legit.6
Always update
Most new security threats are
patched very quickly by Apple and other
vendors. But this will only keep you safe if
you install updates promptly. Unlike on
iOS, you can usually roll back automatic
updates if they cause issues. If you prefer
to keep automatic updates off, don’t keep
ignoring or snoozing alerts indefinitely.1
3
6
2maclife.comAUG 2019 33