There are more and more cyberattacks, Internet scams, and online scams. To deal with the growing number of threats, it's important to le...
You don't need to know a lot about computers, spend a fortune, or ask a professional for help. It only takes a little time and with a few clicks, you can ensure that your Mac is more protected.
AS TO PROTECTING MY MAC LAPTOP?
Ideally, we always behave responsibly, especially while surfing the Internet. Your Mac is an extremely personal object and full of sensitive files, so it must be kept in maximum security. In fact, most of the security tools your Mac needs are already installed on it. In fact, Apple reinforces its devices with several features against cyberattacks that can make all the difference. It is enough to know how to activate them and what they are for.
1 – Install security software
Even so, it's always recommended to use third-party software to reinforce your Mac's security. In addition to cautious conduct, cybersecurity programs and applications are one of the best defenses against hacker attacks. Make sure you have a quality antivirus that can recognize malware and deal with dangerous ads. A VPN can also be important for hiding your IP address and protecting your identity while surfing the Internet.
Finally, you can always resort to software specifically designed for Mac capable of increasing your computer's security. It's a program that cleans, protects, and speeds up your Mac🇧🇷 In fact, it's a complete protection solution that you must have if you want to improve your Mac's security. This type of software is a kind of Swiss army knife for your computer, as it brings together a series of security and optimization applications in a single tool.
2 – Keep an eye out for attacks phishing
Currently, phishing attacks are one of the most common cyber-attacks on the internet. For criminals to carry out a phishing attack, they don't need expensive equipment or advanced computer skills. Many hackers manage to outwit dozens or even hundreds of victims with phishing attacks that require nothing more than a simple email address.
What are phishing attacks and how can we recognize them?
Phishing attacks are cyberattacks in which a hacker seeks to illicitly obtain private information about one or more people. Traditionally, phishing attacks have involved a private message (sent via email, chat, or even SMS) in which a hacker impersonates an official reference entity (such as a bank, state organization, or large organization) to collect the private data of one or more victims. Because they are unable to distinguish hackers' messages from real messages, many people share personal data, click on dangerous links, or even end up sending money to message senders.
How to protect yourself from a Pisin attack
We recognize that recognizing a phishing attack is not as easy today as it was in the past. This is because, despite being extremely simple, scam schemes and strategies are increasingly sophisticated. The trick is to pay attention to some basic security rules in order to be able to identify suspicious messages. Here are some of those rules:
Never reply or click on links in messages sent to you by entities, especially those with whom you have never had contact.
Pay attention to spelling errors or bad conjugation of sentences in the content of messages sent to you. Usually, hackers are less careful with Portuguese than real official entities.
Realize if the message asks us to perform some kind of action. Phishing messages tend to use some issue that urgently needs to be resolved. The message asks for a quick submission of sensitive data or payment of some sum of money. If you receive an email that you are not expecting to ask for something, it is best to avoid replying.
Parse the message sender's domain name. Real official entities almost always use their own domain.
How to find out if a message is Phishing
If you've received a suspicious message and you're not sure if it's a phishing attack, you can do two things to find out. Or you can consult the URL address of the link in the message, call, or send a message to the entity in question asking if they really sent the message. In most phishing attacks, criminals redirect their victims to fake websites that look a lot like real websites but are actually just a trap.
For example, imagine that you have received a suspicious, potentially authentic email from Apple asking you to pay for a product or service. Instead of replying directly to the message, go to Apple's website without ever clicking on the links in the message, simply type apple.com into your browser's address bar and then look for the customer support page and ask if you really have a payment in lack. In fact, this is a safer way to find out whether a suspicious email message is trustworthy or not.
3 –Always use secure passwords
We recognize that having to enter a password every time you turn on your Mac notebook computer can be quite annoying and even tiring. But remember that this is a fundamental cybersecurity measure that we can compare with using the key to enter our home.
The more secure this key is, the more protected we are, so we should always use passwords that are as complex as possible. To create stronger passwords, just take into account the following criteria:
Use uppercase and lowercase letters;
Use numbers and special characters like #, %, or $;
Use at least 12 characters;
Always use passwords different from the previous ones;
Avoid obvious content like proper names, dates of birth, or simple numerical series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
How to use your Mac's Touch ID?
Apple's Touch ID system uses biometrics to automatically block users who want to access your Mac. To do this, it uses its unique physical characteristics, which in this case is the fingerprint that you previously validated. In conjunction with a good password, the Touch ID security system can help make your Mac an impenetrable object.
4 –Protect sensitive or confidential information
If you use your Mac laptop computer to store personal or professional data, chances are it contains a number of files that need special protection. To this end, Apple provides a feature known as FileVault, which allows you to encrypt the information you store on your Mac to prevent certain files from being copied or accessed by unauthorized persons. Basically, the documents are protected by an additional password and become accessible only to users with the equipment Administrator profile.
Built into your Mac's own operating system, this encryption feature is extremely powerful and can replace the need for external software. But the best part is that the FileVault option is not only free but also very easy to set up.
How to activate the FileVault security system?
To be able to activate the “FileVault” security system, just access the “System Preferences” option found in the Apple menu and then click on “Security and Privacy.” On the “FileVault” tab, click on the padlock icon and enter your username and password. Finally, select the “Turn on FileVault” option.
In fact, “FileVault” can be activated for one or more users and it works from the moment your Mac is restarted. To disable this function, you just need to access the same menu, enter your password again, and choose the option “Disable FileVault”.
5 –Always log out of your Mac
Unfortunately, cyberattacks can strike when we least expect it, so it's important to protect your Mac laptop while it's not being used. Fortunately, Apple's operating system allows us not only to automatically log out of the Mac when we are not using the equipment but also to define a password to log in again after it has been blocked.
How do finish the session automatically?
To be able to activate the automatic blocking system on your Mac portable computer, just access the Apple menu, choose the “System settings” option and click on “Privacy and security”, which appears in the sidebar. Then choose the “Advanced” option at the bottom of the window and enable the “Automatically log out after inactivity” feature. Finally, in the pop-up window that appears with the “Logout after” option, choose the amount of inactivity that is required until your Mac laptop session is terminated.
Asset a password to wake up Mac?
It can also make logging back into your Mac notebook computer even safer. Simply select the “Locked screen” option in the “System settings” that appear in the Apple menu. Then, in the pop-up menu that appears on the side, choose the option “Ask for the password after starting screensaver or monitor turns off”. This will allow you to set how long you need to wait for the Mac to lock up and then ask for a password to reactivate it.
6 –Authorize fewer administrative users
We know that not all users are the same. Especially, users are defined as Administrators with privileged access to various operating system features. Of course, restricting the number of users with this access profile is an excellent way to increase the security of your Mac notebook computer. Especially if said equipment is used by several people in your office or household.
In fact, your Mac notebook computer is much more exposed when it is being used by a user with an Administrator profile. Therefore, we should try to authorize the minimum number of users with Administrator profiles working on your Mac. That is, whenever possible we should use normal user accounts because it is an excellent way to increase the security of our computers. In the event of a cyber-attack, the hacker will only have access to the login of a normal user and not to the login of an Administrator of the equipment with full privileges.
ROBBED ME OR ASK FOR MINEMAC, WHAT NOW?
7-Activate the Find app
For your safety, you can use the “Find Me” application that is available on all Apple devices, and your Mac is no exception. To activate and use this application, simply access the “System Preferences” option, found in the Apple menu, and choose the “Privacy” tab under “Security and Privacy”. Then, in “Location services”, choose the option “Turn on location services” and then make sure that the “Find” application is active, just tick the little blue arrow next to the application name.
Finally, after confirming with “OK”, return to “System Preferences”, choose the “Apple ID” option, click on “iCloud”, and again make sure that the little blue arrow next to the “Find Mac” option is on. It's worth remembering that to be able to use the “Find Myself” application, it must be activated before your Mac is lost or stolen, so if you haven't already done so, take care of it now.
What are the options of the Find?
If you followed our advice or activated the “Find It” application for security reasons, you will have access to several options in case of theft or if you lose your Mac by chance. By activating this feature of the “Find” application, you can, for example:
It can find out the exact location of your Mac notebook computer on an online map. To do this, you just need to use another Apple device to access the “Find Myself” application and log in to your iCloud.com account.
You can lock your Mac laptop with a code. From iCloud.com, you can remotely prevent unauthorized persons from accessing your Apple device and thus prevent the loss or copying of your most sensitive data.
You should always report the theft to authorities and provide them with your Mac's serial number. If you don't know the serial number of your Apple device, consult Apple support.
You can permanently and remotely erase all data on your Mac notebook computer. In extreme cases, you can remotely get rid of all the files on your computer and thus prevent your most sensitive information from falling into the hands of hackers.
What to do if you haven't activated the Find app?
Unfortunately, if you lost your Mac notebook computer without activating the “Find It” application first, it will be much more complicated to recover and protect your data remotely. Despite this, Apple recommends some security measures that can help protect some of your most sensitive data:
Change the Apple ID password using another Apple device.
Change all passwords, especially the most sensitive ones, such as your bank account website, and your social networks, among others.
Always inform the authorities of the theft that you were the victim of or the fact that you lost your Mac, providing them with the respective serial number.
CONCLUSION
We always recommend users keep an eye out for phishing attacks, only use secure passwords, and activate and configure the various security systems that come with their Mac portable computer. These are some of the best ways to protect your computer from attacks by hackers and criminals. Unfortunately, it's impossible to be 100% sure your Mac won't be hacked or stolen. However, these simple protective measures should help you avoid the least positive situations as much as possible.
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