Mac Security Tips And Tricks For Safer Use

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When you finally get your new Mac computer, securing everything you plan to do on the device isn’t typically your first thought.  The excitement of a new “toy” is often more overwhelming than the importance of digging into the security settings of the device.

However, your privacy and the safety of the information on your device should be a top priority.  You want your device working to deter internal and external threats from harming or breaching your most sensitive info.  

Here is a brief description of a few Mac security tips that will help you work and play safer on your new device.

Keep your device free of junk

One simple effort you can take to keep your MacOS safe is to keep it from getting all junked up with excess files.  Clearing your cache and your log files every once in a while will give your machine more free RAM to allocate to other processes.  

Running a clean machine is also a good way to make sure that any spyware that end up on your device is quickly deleted.  You’ll have less problems with your computer if you maintain a regular cleaning regimen.

Setup your firewall

Every computer has the option of enabling a firewall.  Contrary to popular belief, your firewall is not automatically enabled during the setup process of your machine.  Your firewall is meant to block foreign incoming network connections.

All you have to do to get your firewall up and working is to go to System Preferences>Security & Privacy>Firewall tab.  Then, click on the small padlock icon in the bottom left of your display.  Enter your username and password.  Finally, click on the button labeled “Turn On Firewall.”   

Make strong passwords

Strong passwords are important for every realm of your digital existence.  People think they can choose a simple password and they’ll be safe, but that is more wrong than right any day of the week.  

When you formulate a new password for any part of your new machine, make sure the password contains a few elements.  Use capital letters, lower case letters, numbers, and symbols to create a bulletproof password combination.

Managing the power of FileVault

File encryption is a good way to keep your important files safe from prying eyes.  Enabling FileVault on your Mac computer will encrypt all of your files contained within your user account.  You will be required to enter your account password every time you access a file, but it’s worth the extra few seconds to know  your critical information is protected.

Create a secondary login for casual activities

If you do all of your work and play on your admin account, you run the risk of changing or deleting something important.  If you create a secondary account (without admin rights), then you can go about your business without worry of doing something irreversible.