Security on a Mac Laptop (Software)

[lieb39]

Hello everyone,

So, recommendations on securing your Mac? I mean in terms of software. Filevault is an obvious one, as well as making sure you use strong passwords. A bit beyond this is setting a firmware password, to prevent changing the boot drive without the password.

How about tracking stolen macs? Anything I can there?
Anymore recommendations?

Thanks,
Daniel.

 

[angelwatt]

1. I'd pass on the firmware password as it is fairly trivial to bypass.
2. FileVault is fine if you need to protect everything in your home directory. If that's not the case, I recommend using encrypted disk images (dmg) or using TrueCrypt to create an encrypted volume.
3. There's been a few threads here about tracking software. Hit up MRoogle to track them down. The names of the software aren't coming to mind currently.
4. If you're security diehard, then check out the NSA's security recommendations for hardening a Mac. A number of their ideas can be impractical though so don't expect to be able to implement them all, but they have good ideas too.

 

[Dave Braine]

A couple of laptop tracking/recovery apps here:
http://www.orbicule.com/
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/review/lojack_can_recover_a_stolen_mac_activate_remote_wipe/

 

[emiljan]

Another free laptop tracking solution is prey. Works just as well as the other paid alternatives.