Comments on: Top 5 Mac Security Tips for the Holidays http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/ Serving up answers all night, every night. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:35:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: This Week at Mac Guru Lounge | Mac Guru Lounge http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-195 This Week at Mac Guru Lounge | Mac Guru Lounge Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:38:44 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-195 [...] of iWork ‘09 or Photoshop CS4 from an illegal site over the past week, you may be at risk. I previously advocated installing anti-virus software, and I would like to reiterate this. However, I have come to learn [...] [...] of iWork ‘09 or Photoshop CS4 from an illegal site over the past week, you may be at risk. I previously advocated installing anti-virus software, and I would like to reiterate this. However, I have come to learn [...]

]]> By: Shawna http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-34 Shawna Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:19:01 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-34 "Tip #3: Set an Open Firmware/EFI password. This tip is not just valuable in the face of holiday theft: it is great for computer lab administrators or even parents who don’t want to let a knowledgeable user gain too much access to the computer. If you set this password, you will need to enter it each time you boot your computer." This is not true, at least I have not found it to be true. You do not need to enter the password each time you boot your computer. Read the Apple KB article you included in the post. You only need it when trying to use means of booting other than normal hence why user names and passwords are critical over auto login. “Tip #3: Set an Open Firmware/EFI password. This tip is not just valuable in the face of holiday theft: it is great for computer lab administrators or even parents who don’t want to let a knowledgeable user gain too much access to the computer. If you set this password, you will need to enter it each time you boot your computer.”

This is not true, at least I have not found it to be true. You do not need to enter the password each time you boot your computer. Read the Apple KB article you included in the post. You only need it when trying to use means of booting other than normal hence why user names and passwords are critical over auto login.

]]> By: bw http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-12 bw Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:30:53 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-12 The only viable attack vector for Mac viruses is user ignorance. Apple has taken every possible precaution in this case (file quarantine + many warnings), but if you really can't tell when not to download and run a piece of software, here's security tip #6: use the guest account and forget your admin account password. Or, better yet, sell your computer and get a typewriter. The rest of these tips simply combat physical access to your machine. FileVault and secure virtual memory require a lot of CPU and disk overhead, which can really make your machine drag. A better idea is just not to let people steal your laptop. And, how exactly does someone compromise your iPhone via Bluetooth? Even if they did manage to work their way around pairing, iPhone doesn't even support OBEX. The only viable attack vector for Mac viruses is user ignorance. Apple has taken every possible precaution in this case (file quarantine + many warnings), but if you really can’t tell when not to download and run a piece of software, here’s security tip #6: use the guest account and forget your admin account password. Or, better yet, sell your computer and get a typewriter.

The rest of these tips simply combat physical access to your machine. FileVault and secure virtual memory require a lot of CPU and disk overhead, which can really make your machine drag. A better idea is just not to let people steal your laptop.

And, how exactly does someone compromise your iPhone via Bluetooth? Even if they did manage to work their way around pairing, iPhone doesn’t even support OBEX.

]]> By: Teaching + Learning Centre » Blog Archive » Mac Tips http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-6 Teaching + Learning Centre » Blog Archive » Mac Tips Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:34:18 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-6 [...] http://www.macgurulounge.com/2008/12/02/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/ [...] [...] http://www.macgurulounge.com/2008/12/02/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/ [...]

]]> By: Matt http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-3 Matt Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:50:03 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-3 Make sure you update to 10.5.5 if you haven't done so because Apple has made improvements in the way Time Machine handles encrypted backups. You do not need to erase your backups at all. What will happen is your existing data will eventually be deleted by Time Machine within the next month, as it sees that your old user folder no longer exists in the "normal" fashion but is now an encrypted disk image. Encrypted disk images <strong>do</strong> take longer to backup because they are backed up in "slices." Let's say your home folder takes up 10GB of space. Your disk image is likely backed up via 5 slices of 2GB. What this means is if your data has changed by 1KB-1.99GB, Time Machine must back up a whole 2GB slice, rather than the exact amount of data that has changed. While you are logged into your FileVault account, Time Machine will not back up your data. It only backs up your data while you are logged out of a FileVault account. Thus, there are some trade-offs using FileVault with Time Machine. You might have a look at this great <a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2007111404402514&query=time%2Bmachine%2Bfilevault" rel="nofollow">Mac OS X Hints</a> article for more on the subject. Make sure you update to 10.5.5 if you haven’t done so because Apple has made improvements in the way Time Machine handles encrypted backups.

You do not need to erase your backups at all. What will happen is your existing data will eventually be deleted by Time Machine within the next month, as it sees that your old user folder no longer exists in the “normal” fashion but is now an encrypted disk image.

Encrypted disk images do take longer to backup because they are backed up in “slices.” Let’s say your home folder takes up 10GB of space. Your disk image is likely backed up via 5 slices of 2GB. What this means is if your data has changed by 1KB-1.99GB, Time Machine must back up a whole 2GB slice, rather than the exact amount of data that has changed.

While you are logged into your FileVault account, Time Machine will not back up your data. It only backs up your data while you are logged out of a FileVault account. Thus, there are some trade-offs using FileVault with Time Machine. You might have a look at this great Mac OS X Hints article for more on the subject.

]]> By: Daniel Gomes http://www.macgurulounge.com/top-5-mac-security-tips-for-the-holidays/#comment-2 Daniel Gomes Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:36:28 +0000 http://www.macgurulounge.com/?p=52#comment-2 Thank you for composing this article. I find these tips very useful and as a new Mac user (about 6 months old) all of these features were totally new to me. I plan to put almost all of these recommendations into practice. I was wondering about the encryption: how does it affect time capsule? Do I need to erase my backups and start over after encrypting the drive on my Macbook? Thank you for composing this article. I find these tips very useful and as a new Mac user (about 6 months old) all of these features were totally new to me.

I plan to put almost all of these recommendations into practice.

I was wondering about the encryption: how does it affect time capsule? Do I need to erase my backups and start over after encrypting the drive on my Macbook?

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