Maintaining the privacy and security of information has become a top priority for everyone, but it doesn't matter as much as it should be to ensure the security of your Mac computer. That's why we've prepared this article for tips and tips for strengthening the security of your Mac.
For a while now, the way Apple's environment works has become increasingly attractive to cyber attackers, which has led us to deal with all kinds of threats and weaknesses in a positive way. malware, virus, adware, ransom, either phishing, among others
Apple is aware of this new feature, which it has chosen to use in its newest devices, such as the installation of the Secure Enclave Apple T2 chip in the existing iMac Pro and MacBook Pro models.
This same chip is the basis of Touch ID, which allows secure startups and enhanced encryption capabilities. But this upgrade is provided by most modern Mac computers. What happened to the former?
And usually, the user pays little or no attention to security settings that run on the MacOS system automatically. Next, we give you a whole series of tips and tools that you should update on your Mac.
We recommend that you update your macOS version whenever Apple releases security updates, such as last January 22 that solved the vulnerability problem found in the operating system.
In cases where your computer doesn't support macOS update, it's nice to use apps like Hider 2, a complete tool produced by MacPaw that lets you hide or encrypt data on your Mac computer.
The developer also has Encrypto running on Mac and Windows platforms, where you can add AES-256 type encryption to a file to share with other users to safely share it to the network.
Look here all news provided by macOS Catalina, the latest version of Apple's Mac app.
Apple often responds quickly to the appearance of any kind of threat, and sometimes, it may be necessary to make some kind of change. Him malware For Mac CookieMiner, Apple recommends clearing the Chrome browser cache after logging into your bank account.
Below, you'll find a whole series of tips that will make your Mac more secure than ever, in order to protect your data, your privacy and your computer and its connection.
Security and privacy settings
Let's start with the basic Mac settings that you should check to make sure the security is noticeable. To familiarize yourself with controls, access the & # 39; Security & Privacy panel & # 39; on your Mac located in the & # 39; Preferences Program & # 39;
- Open & # 39; System Preferences & # 39; You can access the Apple menu located at the top left of your screen.
- Click & # 39; Security & Privacy & # 39;
- You will see the & # 39; General & # 39;, & # 39; FileVault & # 39 ;, & # 39; Firewall & # 39; & # 39; s privacy & # 39;
- To change any of these settings, you must click on the key at the bottom of the screen and enter your username and password.
If you have an administrator account, you can make changes that will affect the whole Mac. Otherwise, they will only apply to your account.
Activate the fire
The first step is to secure any Mac to enable i the fire extinguisher, a feature that blocks any unwanted network connection. You can swear that the fire extinguisher Enabled by default, but usually not.
Fortunately, enabling is very easy and we show you how to do it on your Mac.
1. Click on the & # 39; Firewall & # 39; tab in the & # 39; Favorite System panel> Security & privacy & # 39; which we just opened.
- Click the small left-hand icon to open the program settings (you must enter your password).
3. Click the & # 39; Activate Firewall & # 39; - After that, you can access & # 39; Options firewall & # 39; and in the dialog that appears, click on the & # 39; Enable bottom & # 39;
- Then click the & # 39; Options button the fire extinguisher& # 39; Also, in the dialog that appears, click on the box & # 39; Enable invisible mode & # 39 ;. This last step means that your Mac will be visible on most social networks, such as a Wi-Fi connection shared in the bar.
- Using the & # 39; + & # 39; you can access a complete list of applications and services that can receive incoming communications. To add one to the list, try using the app.
It is important to remember that the fire extinguisher MacOS, while useful, offers only limited protection malware Just protect from incoming traffic. Your work is limited to monitor which programs and services can be accepted as incoming traffic.
Therefore, it does not provide any control over the outgoing connection, that is, applications and services that initiate new communications. If for example there is a piece malware On your computer, OS X Firewall will not protect you from surfing the Internet.
Fortunately, there are third-party applications similar to those offered by major manufacturers of antivirus programs, which have tools anti-malware to do the job successfully.
Take a look at our article the 10 best antivirus for Mac in 2019.
Use a strong password
When we return to the first tab of & # 39; Security & Privacy & # 39 ;, we get the & # 39; General & # 39; There are three areas here that you should pay special attention to.
The first one is that allows you to set an account password if you haven't already done so, or change your password if you see fit. You must have a password in advance.
Here you can look at or not select the option you want or do not need the password to unlock for Mac when the computer closes or meets the enabled screen saver. If you are working in an office or public place, consider looking at this option.
There is also the possibility of & # 39; Disable automatic & # 39; s login, so you will not have to enter a password each time you start your Mac. This selection is completely discouraged, because anyone can access your Mac.
There is another possibility, in which you can use your Apple Watch to unlock the Mac if you have one. Simply use your Apple Watch (unlocked) to perform to enter and macOS.
By applying the fact that we are dealing with password issues, we remind you that good and considered strong should be hard to remember. You can always turn to the use of password manager applications such as 1Password either Kaspersky password manager. In this sense, the tool already mentioned in Hider 2 also serves as a great defense.
System download preferences
As you'll see, in the same & # 39; General & # 39; tab we're talking about, under the floor you can find two options related to apps that can work on the Mac.
The safest, but also most limited, option is to only allow apps from the App Store to work or install. Another option is adding permission to be able to run applications from identified developers.
In previous versions of macOS there was an option to allow apps from anywhere. If this option appears, we recommend that you do not use it. You can launch an app that doesn't appear in the App store, but you'll need to approve it ahead of time.
Use FileVault
With FileVault enabled, all files in your user account will be encrypted or private. To delete it, you must enter your account password or the recovery key made when activating FileVault.
For many users, the hassle of entering a password to open a file, as well as the time it takes to start encryption, outweighs the security benefits provided.
But if you have reasons to keep the data or data stored on a Mac secure by being an organization, activate FileVault.
Check the privacy settings
The last tab you can find within & # 39; Saved & Privacy & # 39; s included a few different controls and features. These are listed in the left window of the panel, as you can see in the picture in this picture.
Location services let you control which apps access your location data. Here you can completely disable location service and prevent individual apps from accessing data.
Similarly, & # 39; Contacts & # 39;, & # 39; Calendar & # 39; & # 39; Reminders & # 39; s allow you to specify which programs on your Mac can access the information stored on these main MacOS X applications.
If you click on & # 39; Photos & # 39 ;, you will see all the applications that have requested access to your Photos library. If you have added social contact information such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to your preferences folder, you can control which apps they access.
In the end, the option embedded in macOS High Sierra was & # 39; Advisor & # 39 ;, which allows app developers and Apple to develop their products based on data collected from operating applications. You can decide from here whether or not to share them.
Configure Safari privacy
Away from the app's noted preferences, Safari has many privacy-related configuration options. We'll go through them all so you can make the right changes.
The first is the & # 39; s new windows & # 39; s window that you can access from the & # 39; File & # 39; or by configuration of the & # 39; May + Command + N & # 39; This way, you can browse web pages in incognito mode or private browsing without following.
The second is associated with & # 39; Clear History & # 39; s in the Safari menu. If you use it periodically, you can remove cookies and other cached information from the sites you visit, make sure they are deleted from the & # 39; History & # 39;
Within Safari's preferences, you can find various tabs of security features among which are & # 39; Privacy & # 39; Click on it and prevent websites visited from following them or controlling what to keep cookies for your Mac.
If you are concerned that the username and password of a particular web page are being saved, go to the & # 39; Autofill section and passwords & # 39; You can unlock various options for these services depending on your options.
Use printer sharing, login and remote management
Share printers: You can share any printer connected to your Mac with other computers connected to the network, including new Windows PCs. Within & # 39; System Options & # 39; go to the & # 39; Share & # 39; and activate the service & # 39; Share printer & # 39; Here will appear local and their sharing methods.
Remote Access: This method allows connecting to your Mac using SSH / SFTP principles and, in particular, is used by professional services to provide remote support for commands. You should activate it if you understand that it cannot be used.
Remote Management: Used in integrated or business environments to allow administrators access to Mac to send updates or fix errors. In all other cases, you must disable it otherwise.
Enter the password in the firmware
The MacOS program uses FileVault encryption by default in the latest versions, which means that every boot in the boot is encrypted and impossible to access, unless you open it when you log in with your user password.
That doesn't prevent anyone from using USB memory to boot the Mac and potentially erasing all the data from the hard drive. The solution is to use the password for firmware
Unlike a password called BIOS for PC, the password request for firmware Mac will only appear when someone tries to start your Mac in a non-standard way, ie with a USB stick, or on another computer.
You must access the & # 39; Recovery Console & # 39; to use it. To do this, restart your device and just before the Apple logo appears, press and hold the & # 39; Command + R & # 39; buttons.
Select your language and the location where Mac asks you to specify and click on the & # 39; Applications> Password Utility menu firmware & # 39;. Follow the instructions and try not to forget them because in the case of you, only Apple can unlock your machines.
Enable guest user
The guest account, according to Apple's name, works with & # 39; Find My Mac with iCloud & # 39 ;, to help you find your MacBook if you leave it somewhere else or stolen.
Allows you to get your Mac when someone finds it, sign in as a guest and use Safari to access the Internet.
It is for this reason that you should not run a guest account, and if you do not have one, allow it immediately. It should also be integrated with an iCloud account. Here we show you how iCloud works.
Scan for malware
While it's true that there are more malicious programs focused on Windows computers than Mac, things have changed a lot in recent years. Currently it does not reach the same percentage of attacks, but it is already a concern for the entire community.
This does not mean that we strongly recommend the use of a particular type antimalware software the main focus is on finding and eliminating advertising programs, that is, code that is hidden in certain programs that aim to include information to show you relevant ads.
Thanks to the latest versions of macOS, especially from OS Mojave, teams already have a powerful tool antimalware invisible, constantly running, known as Xprotec.
However, with great peace of mind, you can choose to find other security tools developed by the major manufacturers of the cybersecurity market.
See our report on Do Mac infected? Should I install antivirus on Mac?
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