When told about it, a lot of people tend to react defensively – some say macOS is one of the safest operating systems that you could have. What could possibly happen to a Mac, if they are so secure? But those people are only half right.
Yes, it is true that Mac computers are safer than most other computers, but it does not mean that you do not need to take any safety precautions at all. Especially if you use a Mac computer for work and store confidential data on it or have some sensitive personal files in there.
Even though Macs have a strong security system, unfortunately, they are not immune to viruses and all sorts of malware. This does not mean that your computer will necessarily be attacked by malware, but you never know. So it is better to be safe than sorry. So to help you keep macOS secure, we are about to share some safety tips.
Remove the Mackeeper
Mackeeper is an app for your Mac, whose main purpose is to help you out with uninstalling unwanted applications, delete junk files, and perform some other additional tasks. All mackeeper does is to keep your Mac running smoothly.
It seems like a very convenient app at first. But lately, it has not a very good reputation. Even though this app has a lot of tools to help you keep your Mac clean, previously, it has been claimed as a potentially harmful application.
Many users who have downloaded this app in the past want to get rid of it or already have. Mackeeper is not that easy to remove and might require quite some time and patience. Therefore it is recommended to remove this app with specialized software.
Be Careful With Your Personal Information
We are going to share some more complex tips about keeping your macOS safe and secure, but first, we want to cover the basics that are easy to perform but still very important for your Mac. Nowadays, hackers are often very intelligent and clever people. And most of the attacks that they plan are based on the information that they can find about you or your company.
So step by step, they come closer to reaching their goal, whatever it is – to ruin your computer, leak your confidential data, or any other reason. There are a few things you can do to make it more difficult for them to get through to you.
First of all, never click links from people you do not know and do not install apps that you do know nothing about. When you create a password, always create a strong one – both for your computer and websites. Use two-step verification where possible. Also, it is recommended to use private browsing and to choose a VPN service instead of a regular one.
Use Virus Checkers
Some people seem to think that virus checkers are unnecessary because macOS is pretty safe already, and virus checkers only make Macs slower by running in the background. But that is only one point of view. Maybe it does make your Mac a little slower, but harmful malware can make your Mac much slower than virus checkers ever could. And fixing the slow Mac performance might cost you time and money.
Also, malware could make even more damage – you could lose valuable data with no chance ever to get it back again. So the best solution is to have a good virus checker but only to run it occasionally – you do not need to keep it running in the background the entire time.
Use a Strong Password for Your Mac
We are sure that you already have a password for your Mac, and maybe even a strong one. But did you know that you can modify the setting and choose how often the password protection is applied to your macOS? To do so, click on the Apple icon, choose System Preferences, and click Security & Privacy.
Here, you will be able to choose after what timing Mac will ask you to enter a password after it has been unattended. The recommended and the safest option is right away after going to the Sleep mode.
Enable the Original Mac Firewall
Macs also have a firewall that is originally built in the computers. Usually, it should be already enabled. But just to be sure, you should check if it really is. To perform this action, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen, choose System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, and choose the Firewall tab. Then, turn on the Firewall.
Now you have it enabled for sure. If you want to, you can go deeper into the options and pick out specific apps that will be able to receive inbound connections. Another thing you can do is enable the Stealth mode. This will kind of hide your Mac and make it less visible in the public networks.