Have you ever wondered what you can do on your Mac to keep it safe? It has several built-in security features to help protect it. Given the rampant online threats and increasing cybersecurity attacks, you cannot compromise on the security aspect. Here are some tips for optimizing the built-in security features.
Know how to find your IP address and protect it
When your computer connects to the internet, it has a unique number assigned to it called an Internet Protocol (IP) address. It’s important to know the IP address if you want to change your security preferences and more.
You can use ipconfig on Mac with Terminal to find an IP address on a Mac.
- Open Terminal. You can find it in the Applications folder under Utilities.
- In Terminal, type “ipconfig” and press enter.
- Look for the network interface you are currently using. The IP address will be listed next to the “inet” field.
When hackers know your IP address it could lead to flooding of the IP address with traffic causing a denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. This could cause the unavailability of your website, network, or online services. A hacker might try to launch phishing attacks or exploit software vulnerabilities targeted at your IP address. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) replaces your IP address with one from the provider so that it isn’t vulnerable to these attacks.
Secure your data with FileVault
FileVault is a powerful tool that encrypts the contents of your startup disk. In recent macOS versions, you are prompted by the Setup Assistant to activate FileVault during the installation process. It enhances Mac security because no one can decrypt the data on your hard drive without the decryption password. These are the steps you need to follow to enable FileVault.
- Open System Preferences.
- Choose Security and Privacy.
- Select the FileVault tab.
- Unlock the Security Padlock.
- Click Turn On FileVault.
If your device has more than one user, you need to select Enable User for every account that needs permission to unlock the encrypted volume.
There are two options to reset your password if you forget it but they both come with warnings. You can use your Apple iCloud account to reset it as long as there is strong security on the account. You can generate a recovery key but you need to keep it in a safe place only you can access.
If you lock yourself out you may have to erase the drive to regain access. Being diligent with the password is essential.
Enable the Firewall
On Macs you can use the in-built Firewall to help control connections made to your computer from other computers on your local network. It can help unauthorized apps from taking control of network ports that may already be open for apps you’ve approved. Head to the Apple Menu and do the following:
- Go to the Apple Menu
- Open System Preferences
- Choose Security and Privacy
- Turn on the Firewall.
After doing this, you can specify certain apps, block all incoming connections, and allow built-in apps to accept connections.
Protect your Mac with a Firmware Password
A firmware password adds an extra layer of cybersecurity on Mac. The feature prompts you for a password whenever you try to boot from an attached external storage. You will also need it when using some startup key combinations. Newer versions of FireVault include similar protections but many Mac users who still use Macs with intel chips can still benefit.
To set a firmware password on an Intel Mac, boot to the recovery partition by holding Cmd +R during startup. Follow these instructions.
- Click the Utilities menu.
- Choose Startup Security Utility or Firmware Password Utility.
- Enter a strong password.
- Restart your Mac from the Apple menu.
Change app security settings
The safest place you can get apps for your Macbook is the App Store. Apple reviews them to make sure they don’t contain viruses or malware. You may sometimes need to download software that’s not in the App Store. Apple allows the App Store and Identified Developers by default. To make your Mac more secure you can change the setting to App Store Only. If you’re at the point where you know you won’t need to download extra apps, it gives you some extra security.
- Go to the Apple Menu.
- Choose System Preferences
- Open Security and Privacy
- Go to General and scroll to Allowed Apps downloaded from
- In this section you can make sure only apps from the App Store will download.
Conclusion
Popular perception might lead you to think your Mac isn’t vulnerable to cyber attacks. This isn’t the case and Macs can have security problems too. There are a number of ways you can optimize the built-in security features on your Mac. Taking these steps will give you more peace of mind.
