Hackers are lingering around the corner, trying to find a vulnerable computer. It is a fact that online hacks have increased at an alarming rate over the last few years. Today, large corporations, consumers and small businesses are at risk of a computer security breach. The risks are even higher when conducting business online, sending and receiving large data and utilizing devices connected to a computer wirelessly. Thankfully, there are ways to make your Mac and Windows computer more secure. Below, you will find several tips to help jumpstart this project.
Access Password
One of the first things you will need to do is set up a password for access. This is a simple process that only requires about five minutes to complete. This password protection prevents others from accessing your Mac and data. While this is just one part of protecting your photos, files and everything else that is stored on your computer, it is a big step to making it more secure.
To create an access password, you will need to click on the Apple menu and system preferences. Next, click on Users & Groups and then select Login Options. Set the Automatic login to off and Display login to name and password.
The process will prevent anyone who does not know your username and password from utilizing your Mac.
Always Install Regular Patches
There is a good chance that you get updates and reminders all the time trying to get you to install patches and updates. If you are like most users you probably just ignore them and close out. Well, that is a huge mistake, as there is a reason that MAC issues these updates and patches. Not only can they increase the performance of your system, but they can protect it as well. Vulnerabilities and breaches are discovered all the time in MAC’s software and that is exactly why the updates and patches are issued. Checking for updates is an extremely easy process.
All you have to is open the finder application, select applications, double-click on the App store, hit the updates icon, and click on update all. Also, do not forget to defrag mac hard drive if you want to enhance the overall performance of your MAC.
Use Strong Passcodes
Avoid utilizing common words and numbers as a password for your Mac. A weak password would be something like this “12345” or “Admin”. Both of these passwords are very common and easy to crack.
Always Enable The Firewall
You don’t really have to be a computer engineer to understand what a firewall is. In fact, firewalls have been around forever and the concept behind them is really simple. They are designed to block your IP address and prevent other individuals from connecting to you without your permission. Unfortunately, on the MAC OS operating systems the firewalls are usually disabled by default. However, do not fret, as enabling it is extremely simple.
Click on the Apple icon located in the upper left hand corner, go to system preferences, choose security and privacy, you should see a tab labeled firewall, click that tab, enter in the username and password of the administrator, and simply turn the firewall on. You should now have the protection that you need to be safe at all times.