Mac OS X
The following security settings can be applied to your Mac OS X system to provide some additional protections on top of system defaults.
Please bear in mind that some of these settings, if adjusted inappropriately, might impact the system's functionality. You should always consult your system administrator or IT support before applying them.
Mac OS X Configuration Tasks
- Use Secure Settings when Creating Login Accounts
- Always set a strong account password. You can use Password Assistant can help with this.
- Enable guest user accounts only when necessary, and consider using Screen Time for any guest accounts to limit the abilities of the guest accounts..
- Enable the Application Firewall
- The system firewall is not enabled by default on many Mac OS X installations. To enable it, go to System Preferences, and select the Security panel. Then, look for the Firewall tab.
- Disable Automatic Login
- While automatic login is convenient, it can also allow an attacker with physical access to your computer to access all of your files.
- You should consider disabling automatic login by heading to System Preferences and selecting Users & Groups (called "Accounts" in earlier versions of Mac OS X). Then update the Automatic Login field under Login Options.
- Require a Password to Wake your Mac
- To minimize the risk of unauthorized access while you are away from your Mac, you can require a password to wake it from sleep or a screensaver. While most Macs are set by default to sleep after a period of inactivity, the screen saver functionality often needs to be manually enabled if you'd like to use that as well. Both of these options can be configured from System Preferences, albeit from different sections:
- Screen saver settings can be adjusted under the Desktop & Screen Saver panel.
- The password protection for sleep and the screen saver can be found under the Security panel.
- You should set an automatic screensaver and or sleep timeout. From the Apple menu, you can set-up your computer to sleep when you walk away or set one of the screen corners to do the same function.
- To minimize the risk of unauthorized access while you are away from your Mac, you can require a password to wake it from sleep or a screensaver. While most Macs are set by default to sleep after a period of inactivity, the screen saver functionality often needs to be manually enabled if you'd like to use that as well. Both of these options can be configured from System Preferences, albeit from different sections:
- Automatically Lock the Login Keychain
- The Keychain on a Mac is used to store all of your passwords and credentials. To secure it, locate the Keychain Access tool in Spotlight search (which is the magnifying glass icon in the top-right of your screen). Select the login keychain, then select the "Edit" menu (top-left corner of the screen), and click "Change Settings" to open the login keychain settings. Update the values to lock after e.g., 10 minutes of inactivity.
- Avoid installing unnecessary software
- Always be fastidious in installing software downloaded from the Internet, as this is one of the main ways in which computer security can be compromised.
- Mac OS X 10.7 and later do not contain Oracle® Java™ or Adobe© Flash© Player by default. if these tools are not needed, then don't install them.
- Please note that Google Chrome includes a bundled version of Adobe© Flash© Player.
- Enable Full-Disk Encryption with FileVault 2
- Enabling this prevents unauthorized persons from accessing your information, even if your machine is stolen. If you're uncomfortable with enabling encryption, make sure to get help from a friend, or your tech support.
- Always back up with data, e.g., with Time Machine, before encrypting your hard drive.
This article was updated: 09/23/2021