Mac operating systems are known for their strong security features. Apple, as a company, in general, invests a lot of time and funds into ensuring that Apple devices are secure and reliable. However, nothing is perfect, and unfortunately, we have an exploit for everything.
The Ultimate Online Security Checklist For Mac
To ensure that you don’t fall victim to scary hacking and ransomware attempts, make sure to protect and secure your laptop properly. Luckily, that is not as hard as it sounds. By following our tips below, you’ll become a Mac security pro in a matter of minutes.
Table of contents
Disable Automatic Login
Use a VPN
Use Antivirus
Generate Strong Passwords
Use Both Inbound and Outbound Firewalls
Encrypt Your Data
Backup All Important Data
Regularly Check for Software Updates
Disable Remote Access
Disable Automatic Login
When you purchase a new Mac device or reinstall the software, the OS automatically creates a user account and enables automatic login. While this is convenient for daily use at home, it can be a serious privacy and security risk when you’re using your laptop elsewhere.
If a malicious actor found your laptop, they would be able to easily access all your files and wreak havoc on your personal or professional life. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, you should disable automatic login or use a strong password to protect your user account.
Use a VPN
VPN is an amazing tool that has become irreplaceable when it comes to online security. It acts as a shield between you and the web by encrypting your traffic and assigning you a virtual IP address. This is especially important if you frequently use public or open Wi-Fi, which is known to be very vulnerable.
Purchase a high-quality VPN solution such as NordVPN, and make sure to use it anytime you’re working with important information. A VPN can secure your internet connection and keep valuable data safe.
Use Antivirus
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. Although Apple takes pride in manufacturing extremely secure devices, it is important to note that nothing is impenetrable. That is precisely why you should use additional security tools to ensure maximum safety. Antivirus will protect you from common malware and ransomware. You can also install an antivirus browser extension.
Generate Strong Passwords
This is probably the cheesiest and most common advice ever. However, that doesn’t minimize its importance. Data breaches have become a regular occurrence. And, if your account was subject to a breach, then your emails and passwords might have been exposed. So, make sure to use strong and different passwords for each account. You can find a wide variety of password generators online.
Use Both Inbound and Outbound Firewalls
Mac devices come with an in-built inbound firewall, which can only protect you from a handful of exploits. When you combine inbound with outbound firewalls, you’ll achieve maximum security. Outbound firewalls do a great job of notifying the user about any potential malware found on their devices. It also notifies you about any software that requires an internet connection.
Encrypt Your Data
Encrypting your data is probably the most effective way to protect your privacy and protect yourself from ransomware attacks. Encrypting data means that your data will be coded and unreadable unless you own a unique encryption key. With the recent rise in ransomware attacks, this can be a great way, in combination with data backup, to ensure that your privacy isn’t compromised.
Even if someone managed to infect your computer with ransomware, your data would be unusable to them because they wouldn’t be able to read it or do anything else with it.
Backup All Important Data
This is especially important if you want to protect yourself from ransomware attacks. Backing up your data and encrypting it along the way is the most secure way to protect your files from ransomware gangs. If they steal your data, they won’t be able to read it, thanks to encryption. You can easily load your backup and reinstall the systems to remove the ransomware and continue life as usual.
Regularly Check for Software Updates
Software updates are also important because manufacturers issue these to protect the user’s systems from any emerging threats. Outdated software is among the most common reasons for breaches and exploits. So, don’t be lazy and make sure to look for updates periodically. Or, you can always enable automatic software updates.
Disable Remote Access
Remote access allows you to access your files from anywhere. While this is convenient, it is obvious how this can be potentially dangerous as well. Security researchers have recently discovered a flaw in Apple systems that allowed them to remotely hack a Mac laptop the first time it connected to Wi-Fi.
