Take Control of Security for Mac Users (2015)

Mac Security Quick Start

There are many different aspects to Mac security, which are often intertwingled in confusing ways. In general, I’ve tried to group similar concepts together and put the most important (and easy-to-implement) material earlier in the book. Here’s what you’ll find.

Hit the Ground Running

Everyone should read Learn Security Basics, in which I take a broad look at what security means—in general, and to you specifically. Yes, you! I’ve been watching you read this, which I could do because I just hacked into your Mac. Kidding! Totally kidding! But if you had a moment of doubt there, you’ll appreciate the discussion of risk profiles. This book often makes recommendations based on what your risk level is—1, 2, 3, or 4—so you need to know your level to get the most out of this book. Plus, having a clearer idea of your risk level will help you make better security decisions and avoid unwarranted paranoia.

Next come three chapters—again, recommended for every reader—that deal with the low-hanging fruit of Mac security:

· Perform Quick Security Fixes discusses a few things you need to know and do right now, all of which are pretty easy but can dramatically improve your security. This includes updating your software and making a few important tweaks to OS X’s security settings.

· In Beef Up Your System Settings, I continue with (to strain the metaphor) some higher-hanging fruit that may require pruners or a stepladder. I talk about how OS X uses sandboxing to keep apps from doing bad things, and how the settings related to this feature affect your security. I also make suggestions for improving your Users & Groups settings and discuss implications of sharing files, screens, and other resources via the Sharing pane of System Preferences.

· Improve Your Passwords talks about how crucial good passwords are to nearly every other aspect of security and helps you improve passwords that are too weak.

Manage the Ins and Outs

Although network security is a recurring theme throughout the book, the next group of chapters focuses on network-specific topics:

· Improve Your Network Security covers your network connection as a whole (Wi-Fi or otherwise), showing you how to protect various segments of the path data travels between your Mac and other computers—and showing what could happen if you don’t.

· In Fortify Your Mac’s Defenses, I talk about several categories of software that monitor and filter data as it comes into or leaves your Mac, which is important regardless of how secure your network connection might be. (For example, you could have a secure connection to a compromised computer that tries to send you malware.) I also revisits the age-old question of whether you as a Mac user need anti-malware software—and if so, what the best options are.

· Moving on to more specific tasks, we come to Surf the Web Safely. The Web is a conduit for all sorts of malicious behavior, and in this chapter I tell you what to be on the lookout for—and how to stay out of trouble. This may include altering some browser preferences, installing plug-ins, and taking greater care in which sites you visit. That chapter also helps you safely use passwords and credit cards on the Web, while steering clear of phishing schemes designed to trick you into giving away private information.

· For iCloud users—which, let’s face it, is pretty much everyone with a Mac these days—Manage iCloud Security lays out the good and the bad. You might be surprised to learn that some aspects of iCloud are much more secure than generally believed. On the other hand, you could be casually using iCloud features that—unless you exercise special care—could be fabulously unsafe, exposing personal data (like those sorts of photos) to people who should never see them.

Tie Up Loose Ends

The final three chapters cover essential topics that don’t fall under either “basics” or “network security.”

· Read Prevent Data Loss and Theft to learn about the crucial importance of backups (you knew I’d bring up backups sooner or later, right?) as a key to preventing—or recovering from—data loss. However, you also want to prevent someone from gaining unauthorized access to your Mac’s data even if you don’t lose access yourself—in other words, data theft. I discuss techniques to prevent data theft, including the use of FileVault or other encryption tools and secure deletion.

· You can think of Keep Personal Data Private as the Reader’s Digest condensed version of Take Control of Your Online Privacy. I hit the highlights and review the key steps you can take to keep your personal information out of the hands of others—whether they’re other local users or ne’er-do-wells across the Internet.

· The final chapter is the one I hope you never have to read! In Recover from a Disaster, I reiterate my “Don’t Panic” advice and walk you through the steps to take if misfortune strikes. Did you lose data? Here’s how to get it back. Did malware find its way onto your Mac? Here’s how to get rid of it. Did you suffer a phishing attack, network intrusion, or even—heaven forbid—identity theft? Here are the steps to take.

Tip: At the risk of stating the obvious, you’ll be way ahead of the game if you’ve prepared for disaster with measures like strong passwords and great backups, but I tell you what you should do either way.