If your question pertains to a specific protocol, e.g., ssh or ssl (https), please use that tag instead.
1
vote
0answers
15 views
Printers compatible with case sensitive hardened Mountain Lion
For security improvment, I'm running all my MacOS X on case sensitive
and journaled file systems (then any ill written program which one day open a file named conf, and the day after try to open it ...
26
votes
8answers
1k views
Anti-Virus Software for Mac OS X
Is it worth to buy an Anti-virus software for Mac OS X?
I heard both opinions like "it's not possible to get a virus on Mac OS X" and "Mac OS X is also vulnerable against virus... "
What is true?
4
votes
1answer
2k views
How to open files from unknown developers without a warning in OSX?
I believe I have too much security on my mac. Whenever I try changing a file name or install a program I have to enter my laptop's password. Moreover, I cannot quickly access downloaded programs ...
1
vote
1answer
134 views
Does anyone know what the file ~/Library/Preferences/com.npvdata.client is for?
I had a heck of a time with the file ~/Library/Preferences/com.npvdata.client. Looked like it was some kind of cryptographic key file, and when I went to edit it, not only could I not change it, but ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Prevent my Mac from connecting to an unsecure Wi-Fi network?
How can I prevent my Macbook from connecting to non-secure wireless networks?
I've ticked the "Ask to join new networks" option and removed the offending network from the Preferred Networks list in ...
2
votes
4answers
94 views
Does Console.app also log passwords?
I'm a newb of OS X (or any flavor of *Nix for that matter) so this came to mind lately.. As the Console.app logs every single process that's running, does to also mean passwords & such are also ...
14
votes
2answers
3k views
How to securely erase an SSD drive?
I'm pretty new to SSD technology, so I don't know how it compares to hard drives when it comes to securely erasing the drive. Is it enough to run Disk Utility and erase the drive with the option ...
4
votes
2answers
99 views
How should I use VPN on a Mac to prevent compromise before the VPN starts?
As most experienced users will have heard, using a Mac in a public untrusted Wi-Fi can be potentially harmful. A tool like Firesheep1 has made it very easy to intercept unencrypted communication.
...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Have any organizations moved their work Apple ID to two-step authentication?
We are writing the policy of a small company to create 100 Apple ID for their employees. Half will work primarily on iPads and the other half on Macs. We have decided to try to use two-step ...
3
votes
2answers
835 views
Checking apps for a “GateKeeper” Developer ID?
Is there any way for a Mac user currently running Snow Leopard or Lion to check, maybe from the Terminal command-line, whether some application downloaded from the net was digitally signed with an ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Adobe Reader Updater legitimate?
I just got the following popup:
Is this a legitimate update from Adobe?
The reason I'm concerned:
The Flashback virus started off as a fake Adobe Flash update.
The UI on the application does not ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Should I block incoming connections from “netbiosd”?
My (application) firewall settings are configured to block incoming connections from netbiosd. I don't recall setting this myself, and wonder what the consequences are.
What are the consequences of ...
3
votes
3answers
248 views
Convenient way to store sensitive information on Mac/iPad?
Currently I keep an obscurely-named text file on my hard drive which contains things like bank account and credit card details, various passwords, PINs, and other bits of sensitive/confidential ...
1
vote
3answers
371 views
Can't enable Apple Two Step Authentication
I see from all of the various blogs and news sites that Apple finally has two step authentication with their Apple ID. That's great -- especially with the latest security hole where you can now reset ...
3
votes
1answer
963 views
How can I enable DVD or CD Sharing with the Firewall on?
I'm trying to enable "DVD or CD Sharing" in the System Preferences. When I enable it, it says that the Firewall is blocking it. If I go into the Security > Firewall settings, I see that the first item ...
3
votes
3answers
692 views
Secure erase drive in Single User Mode
My 2007 Macbook Pro has suffered from a failure of its GPU and will now only boot in Single User mode.
I want to sell it on eBay for spares, but obviously I don't want a hard drive with live data ...
3
votes
2answers
236 views
How do I automatically connect to a VPN when using Wi-Fi in OS X?
The FBI issued a warning regarding hotel Wi-Fi access points, and any other public access point.
I'd like to make sure my apple device always uses a VPN when using Wi-Fi. That way even if an attacker ...
1
vote
2answers
148 views
How to determine which traffic goes over the PPTP VPN?
I setup a PPTP VPN on mac os x lion, on the advanced tab I do not have the send all traffic over VPN connection checked. I only want traffic to a specific server connected to go through the vpn, ...
0
votes
1answer
477 views
How can you reset security questions on an Apple ID when you have the password, but the security email is incorrect?
There's a bit of a story, but the nub of the issue is we have forgotten the answers to the security questions on an Apple ID used for purchasing apps and music and can't reset the answers / questions ...
1
vote
1answer
530 views
Does Notational Velocity/nvALT securely sync with Simplenote?
I set nvALT to use a single database to store my notes. Using a database provides the benefit of encryption. I also sync my notes using Simplenote.
I just noticed this warning at the bottom of the ...
3
votes
3answers
494 views
scheduled account lock Mac OS X
You can set your Mac OS X account to automatically lock the screen so that the password is required after a certain amount of time of inactivity, but can you do the same thing using a schedule (say at ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
Can I trust Apple Store's employees with my laptop?
This might be a bizarre but crucial question, can I fully trust leaving my laptop in repairs (Genius Bar) while they have full access to it ?
I recently went to the genius bar to get my display ...
3
votes
1answer
178 views
Neighbor's Airport Extreme extending my wireless network?
I noticed a new machine on my network -- it's my next-door neighbor's Airport Extreme!
My network is set up with a WPA2 Personal password, and I don't believe that he's cracking passwords to steal ...
0
votes
1answer
119 views
Can a FileVault-encrypted partition be accessed using a password I supplied during OS X install?
I have a MacBook (Retina, Mid 2012 if it's relevant) which I installed Mountain Lion onto, creating one user account only (an Admin account). There is a Guest User, marked for "Sharing Only". The hard ...
5
votes
2answers
394 views
How can I tell if I'm viewing a secure page in Safari (6.0.2)?
Safari hides the http: or https:, so how can I tell if I'm viewing a page over SSL? Some pages show issuer information in the URL bar, but not all of them. So the ones that show issuer info are ...
3
votes
3answers
223 views
Random shutter sound
Every once in a while I hear a loud sound from my Mac. It sounds like either a camera shutter or a keychain lock/unlock. It all started a couple of weeks ago.
I fear something is snapping shots of my ...
1
vote
0answers
790 views
Do Java security settings in Mountain Lion cause java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError?
In a nutshell, I have a java app that crashes in java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError and I'm looking to see if my OS/Java settings might be causing this error.
I cannot change the security settings ...
3
votes
4answers
24k views
What is the difference between the WPA2 Personal, WPA and WPA2 WiFi security passcodes?
I was editing the configuration for my Time Capsule, when I noticed that I had the following options for network encryption:
Why is there an option of WPA/WPA2? Is it as secure as WPA2 Personal?
...
9
votes
3answers
446 views
Can the built-in OS X “Location” feature auto select locations based on wireless networks?
My home network is very secure, but my school's wireless network is open, which makes it vulnerable to wireless sniffing (e.g. with Firesheep). I just discovered the Location feature and I think it's ...
10
votes
4answers
888 views
Tools to compress and encrypt files
I want to compress several files and encrypt them with a password if possible.
Are there any build-in tools in Mac OS that provide such functionality?
If not, can you recommend me a (freeware) ...
18
votes
7answers
716 views
How to limit my Mac's exposure to malware?
With OS X malware increasingly in the news (see the Flashback Trojan issue), is there anything that I should do to increase the security of my Mac and reduce my exposure to malware?
What I'm doing ...
3
votes
3answers
4k views
How can I find out if my iPhone Is jailbroken?
How can I find out if my iPhone (or iPad) has been jailbreaked (with a drive-by injection for example)?
Is there an app for that?
0
votes
2answers
143 views
How to stop remote connection/intrusion
First of all, I am new to Apple and not a very technical person. Please bare with me.
A person within my network got access to my MacBook Pro through Wifi, and somehow now he can connect remotely. ...
5
votes
2answers
291 views
“Airplane Mode” in OS X. Alternative command for `rfkill`?
This question is an exact duplicate of this post from
superuser.exchange.com. I believe this is a valid question for both of sites
and hope I am not (if any) violating stackexchange policies.
...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
How to protect my Mac from reseting the admin password
Yesterday I was studying and writing some texts in german. I closed my MBP and went watch some TV which made me forget about the german keyboard layout.
When I came back, my password wasn't being ...
6
votes
3answers
699 views
How secure is Mac OS X's security?
My friend's MacBook Pro was recently stolen. Fortunately, it was protected with a password. How secure is the built-in protection ?
Can thieves access the data on the hard drive, and at what ...
4
votes
1answer
141 views
Remove app from Location Services?
I've used App Cleaner which clears preference and associated files, but I can't clear it from Location Services permissions list in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.
Any idea how ...
76
votes
16answers
7k views
Is there a quick way to lock my Mac?
On Windows you can hit the keys Windows+L to lock your computer if you step away.
I don't want to have to remember if sleep currently asks for a password, if there is a time out where my screen isn't ...
3
votes
4answers
46k views
How do I password-protect access to specific apps in iOS?
currently, I have a 4 digit lock on my phone.
I know this isn't really secure - and can be broken through if neccessary. It just kind of stops the situation if someone picks up my phone, they won't ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
Apple id security questions not allowing me to download apps
I bought an iPhone 4S. I am trying to download apps from the App store but it is not letting me do it. Every time I try to download an app, a window pops up asking me to type in my Apple ID password. ...
12
votes
3answers
360 views
What are the risks of connecting a MacBook to an insecure wireless network?
What privacy and security risks am I exposing myself to when I connect my MacBook to an open insecure wireless network?
Are there any risks that are worse or better when compared to a Windows PC ...
1
vote
1answer
125 views
Embedding Web Snippets in Wiki Server and Security Settings
I want to edit the embed security settings in Mountain Lion Server's Wiki Service because with the default settings you can't embed anything on pages, which makes it a lot less useful. We're in a ...
4
votes
4answers
199 views
Is there a way to limit how frequently you can start an application?
On my phone, I'm am enjoying a new tweak called MailStop which sole purpose is to limit my reflex of checking my mail far too often. I have set it to not allow me to start the Mail app for five hours ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
Is it possible to program an OS X screen lock?
I want the ability to lock my Macbook at my command. I don't want a screensaver or sleep lock. Don't you get tired of repeatedly typing in your password in all day? I don't want to wait for my ...
1
vote
1answer
579 views
Enabling Wireless Before Logon for Active Directory
We are purchasing computers in the next week on our Enterprise network and will have a mix of Macs and PCs. We are currently running our AD server on Windows Server 2008R2.
We use folder redirection ...
1
vote
2answers
102 views
How can I ensure only “whitelisted” applications run on OS X
There is a security technique called whitelisting (available in Windows 7) that ensures that only specific applications and processes will run.
This is different from email whitelisting and only ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
MacBook Air Kensington Lock Alternative
The MacBook Air has no Kensington lock slot. What other options are available for protecting it from theft?
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Where are OS X document versions stored? Are they secure?
Support for OS X versioning is spreading among apps (e.g., TextWrangler has just added this feature as of version 4.5), but it is unclear what the security implications of this are. For example, if I ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
How can I be sure that Mac chat applications like Adium won't leak my Gmail, iCloud, AIM, or other account/password credentials?
Mac chat/instant-message programs like Adium, Jabber, and AIM require you to enter your chat service account login and password information in the preferences, to enable them to function. How can I be ...
4
votes
1answer
225 views
Is the Guest account a security risk with full disk encryption on Mountain Lion?
I have File Vault 2 full-disk encryption enabled on my 2012 MacBook Air running Mountain Lion. By default it also has a "Guest" Safari-only account available. I just tried it the other day and found ...
