Security
How to Password Protect Your Mac
Matt Cone December 13, 2011
Your computer contains personal documents, photos, email messages, and even a log of your Internet activities. Password protecting your Mac keeps this private information safe and allows you to control who accesses your computer. You should follow these steps whether you you work primarily from work, home, or a cafe. No one should ever have unauthorized access to your Mac! Here’s how to password protect your Mac: Disable automatic login to ensure that only authorized users can use the computer.
How to Disable Automatic Login
Matt Cone December 12, 2011
When you set up your Mac for the first time, you create an administrator account that automatically logs in when you turn on your computer - a convenient feature that poses a major security risk if you regularly use your Mac in public, or if other people use your computer. For maximum security, you’ll want to disable automatic login, even if you’re the only person who uses your Mac. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
How to Create User Accounts in Mac OS X
Matt Cone December 12, 2011
Everyone who uses your Mac should have his or her own account. It’s a practical way to keep personal documents, settings, and applications separate and secure. Plus, an account limits a user’s ability to access system files and settings that can change your Mac’s configuration. Creating User Accounts in Mac OS X Here’s how to create an account for a user: From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. Select Users & Groups.
Make an Encrypted Disk Image to Secure Files
David Miller March 16, 2007
Encryption satisfies one of the most basic, fundamental human needs: The right to privacy. By using encryption, you can be reasonably confident that your files will be protected from prying eyes. This is especially important if you work on computers that are shared with others, or if you frequent high-traffic computing environments, such as computer labs. Fortunately, the ability to encrypt files using disk images is a free feature built into every Mac running Mac OS 10.