MACs have been resilient to external cyber attacks when their computers were simpler and a little bit less popular. In fact, the sheer number of Windows-powered hardware was so big that hackers never cared about trying to infiltrate MAC machines. For a long time, many MAC users laughed at PC users and bragged about how their machines are safe to use and don’t really have any external threats.
This tune changed to a minor one when MACs became more popular and demanded more sophistication in software. MACs also had to start working “together” with many other apps and offer various compatibility tweaks for big software like Adobe Photoshop that were very popular and outmatched anything Apple could provide to their clients. More MACs meant more targets for hackers. Today, there are all sorts of malware capable of targeting MAC machines.
What should you do to stay safe?
Try to avoid using unknown websites or downloading programs that don’t appear to be legit. Don’t open links in emails that have a suspicious nature or an unknown sender. There are also other tips for MAC users:
1. Keep the system updated in order to receive the latest patches and tweaks to the system developed by Apple engineers to keep your machine clean from viruses and other threats.
2. Use encryption to protect valuable files. There are many tools that you can use to encrypt the information. There are also cloud services that will do it for you!
3. Create backups regularly to never get in a situation where you lose all your information and files that may be important. Your data may be compromised, and storing it on an external removable disk or in the cloud are both good options.
Install MacOS safely
It is important to get your software from trusted sources. The computer you are using can be infected from the beginning if you download and use a weird installation package that comes from a third party. Make sure to use only official programs and especially OS. The official installation pack can be found in AppStore. You can also make a bootable USB stick with an official OS.
Use encryption
One of the best features that macOS offers to its users is using the so-called file vault that will encrypt your whole hard drive. This method will make your files completely unreadable for any person who would like to take a peek at what you are doing on your machine.
Here’s how you can do it:
1. Go to the menu of the device and look for preferences where you will find Security and Privacy.
2. In the FileVault tab look for the icon of a lock pad and tap it.
3. Enter your credentials and turn the feature on.
Protect your hardware
If you are not sure that you can protect your machine from external access, it is a good idea to add an additional layer of protection by setting a firmware password. The steps to activate the firmware protection are as follows:
1. Launch the machine in the recovery mode (COMMAND + R).
2. Use the password utility in the recovery window and choose to turn the feature on.
3. Enter and confirm your new password. Then, restart the machine.
You can also set a password for your system that will prevent other people from using your machine’s software. In order to do it, just go to the security and privacy settings and set a password.
Install a VPN and use a secure browser
It is quite important to have a VPN that will protect your data by encrypting it and also prevent spying from your ISP and any person who would like to know what you are up to when surfing the web. Purchase a good, reliable VPN with positive reviews. Install it on your device and use any geographical location to access the web safely.
You can also increase the safety of your browser by using various levels of privacy settings. Each browser has its own set of preventive measures that protect your machine from unauthorized access. Also, don’t forget to install antivirus software that will protect your MAC from viruses, worms, and other forms of malware.
