Simple Mac system security.

[Jonzjob]

I know that this will be like being taught to suck eggs to a lot on here, but I have just been sent this article from the Wiltshire police and it could well be useful to some?

Safe Mac Use | Get Safe Online

Stay safe.

 

[IWT]

Interesting article, John, with some very common-sense suggestions.

I suspect that, perhaps, not everyone would agree with some of the ideas: File Vault; having anti (virus, malware etc) running 24/7 in the background, for example.

Thanks for posting.

Ian

 

[Jonzjob]

You are more than welcome Ian. The thought of putting an irretrievable password on my system frightens the **** out of me. I have problems with remembering my own name sometimes and when I call SWMBO by someone else's name, well!

 

[krs]

Interesting article, John, with some very common-sense suggestions.

I suspect that, perhaps, not everyone would agree with some of the ideas: File Vault; having anti (virus, malware etc) running 24/7 in the background, for example.

Exactly my thoughts

I also never seem to see anyone suggesting to turn on the 'stealth' option in the Mac firewall. Maybe that is overkill sitting behind a router.

I'm personally also leery about using iCloud or any service like that for important and/or confidential information.
Servers of very large companies are constantly being compromised, companies that can afford top notch IT staff that should be able to lock them down - I see no reason why Apple should be immune to that.

 

[Jonzjob]

I have to admit that I have never used any cloud facilitates and have no intention of ever doing so. I have my own equivalent in my Synalogy NAS box so why give my bits and bobs to someone else?

 

[Slydude]

I have problems with remembering my own name sometimes and when I call SWMBO by someone else's name, well!

Be careful there, buddy. Thats a recipe for big, big trouble.

 

[pm-r]

I suspect that, perhaps, not everyone would agree with some of the ideas: File Vault; having anti (virus, malware etc) running 24/7 in the background, for example.

Yikes!!! Just the thought of a home user using filevault just makes me shudder, especially if they have some data they may want to keep some time later and they have forgotten the password. Absolutely no chance of recovery!!!


- Patrick
======

 

[MacInWin]

I use a password application to encrypt and store my passwords. I happen to use 1Password, but most of them do similar stuff.) It's encrypted files are synced through iCloud to my iPhone and iPad, but I don't worry too much about it because of the encryption done before it goes to Apple. Compared to other large companies, my impression is that Apple is more secure than most. The only "breech" of Apple I am aware of is the one where some celebrities were phished for passwords and then compromising pictures stored on their iCloud account were accessed. Other than that, has Apple been hacked, ever? I sure they face thousands of attacks daily as a very lucrative target.

 

[pm-r]

Other than that, has Apple been hacked, ever? I sure they face thousands of attacks daily as a very lucrative target.

I would imagine that Apple would be one of the topmost golden egg sites for hackers to put in their caps.



- Patrick
======

 

[Rod]

Despite the convenience and accessibility of using a password manager like OnePass or 1Password where you data is stored on their servers but accessible online anywhere via user name and password I still don't trust such an obvious target for hackers to be entirely safe. To trust all my user names and passwords to a remote site just seems too risky. I use Enpass which only stores my data locally (on my device). I can use iCloud to sync the data file to other devices but I can only access it on the app.


Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums

 

[MacInWin]

Rod, I use iCloud to sync my devices. 1Password lets you configure that. Your choices are iCloud and Dropbox or just direct file exchange with WiFi. But what is actually stored is encrypted with my password. 1Password does not know my password at all. So not only do they not have my password, but the data is NOT on the 1Password servers at all. Just wanted to get the facts straight. Given it's encrypted pretty solidly and transferred through iCloud makes me comfortable with it. If Apple gets hacked, I'll shift to direct sync in WiFi, but I don't think I need to do that. It's handy to just have the sync going on in the background and I don't have to think about it.

 

[Rod]

Rod, I use iCloud to sync my devices. 1Password lets you configure that. Your choices are iCloud and Dropbox or just direct file exchange with WiFi. But what is actually stored is encrypted with my password. 1Password does not know my password at all. So not only do they not have my password, but the data is NOT on the 1Password servers at all. Just wanted to get the facts straight. Given it's encrypted pretty solidly and transferred through iCloud makes me comfortable with it. If Apple gets hacked, I'll shift to direct sync in WiFi, but I don't think I need to do that. It's handy to just have the sync going on in the background and I don't have to think about it.

Sorry Jake, I was thinking of OnePass, always get those two mixed up.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums

 

[Jonzjob]

Be careful there, buddy. Thats a recipe for big, big trouble.

It would certainly lead to a change in my diet Jake!

Hot tongue and cold shoulder for all meals and between too

 

[Slydude]

It would certainly lead to a change in my diet Jake!

Hot tongue and cold shoulder for all meals and between too

 

[MacInWin]

It would certainly lead to a change in my diet Jake!

Hot tongue and cold shoulder for all meals and between too

Hey, that was not me, but Sly! I'm not going anywhere *near* that comment!!!

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I use a password application to encrypt and store my passwords. I happen to use 1Password, but most of them do similar stuff.) It's encrypted files are synced through iCloud to my iPhone and iPad, but I don't worry too much about it because of the encryption done before it goes to Apple. Compared to other large companies, my impression is that Apple is more secure than most. The only "breech" of Apple I am aware of is the one where some celebrities were phished for passwords and then compromising pictures stored on their iCloud account were accessed. Other than that, has Apple been hacked, ever? I sure they face thousands of attacks daily as a very lucrative target.

I use 1Password and iCloud for syncing also. I used to use Dropbox, but was disturbed a few years ago when they changed their tune from "our employees cannot access your data" to "our employees are not allowed to access your data". I'm comfortable with iCloud due to having "proper" 2 factor authentication requiring permission to be given from another authorized device, among other security practices that Apple uses.

On the flip side, I wouldn't touch 1Passwords' cloud service that they now offer with a 10 foot pole. No way, no how.

 

[Jonzjob]

Sorry Jake, but where there's smoke

As I said, I'm always getting names screwed up and there's some of the proof init already.

 

[macgig]

this one could be the best password manager Ive seen. it stores nothing in the cloud or on your devices so theirs nothing to steal. I don't use it myself yet... but if I started using one I think id try this one.

Master Password: Home

 

[Jonzjob]

I use a book for mine, but not the password just a hint and then mix in special characters as well as numeric.

If anyone found the book it wouldn't mean anything to them.

 

[krs]

I wonder how secure a password is if one includes it as part of the auto login.

I used to only do that for non-critical sites, but when I started using the Brave browser I set some financial sites up for auto login.
I think I better change that.