[Hidden-tech] Mac security question

[Chris Hoogendyk]

Jeff Rutherford wrote:
> I work on a MacBook Pro. Whenever I work at a cafe w/ a Wifi 
> connection, I can often see other computers on the network in Finder. 
>
> What security settings do I need to implement on MY MacBook Pro, so 
> that no one can peruse my files when I'm using Wi-Fi?

Make sure you are up-to-date on Software Updates (especially security 
patches when they are available).

In System Preferences, Sharing: make sure everything is turned off. 
Those people you see have sharing turned on and are making their stuff 
available over the network by doing that.

In System Preferences, Security, Firewall: make sure everything is 
closed off. You don't want any exceptions.

I didn't see music sharing in System Preferences, so maybe that is 
independent in iTunes, Preferences, Sharing. I always turn all of that 
off (both sharing and look for shared libraries).

If you are doing email, I would use secure connections. This gets a lot 
more complicated, because different people are using different mail 
servers and clients with different options and restrictions. Presumably, 
a web interface with https ought to do it. If you are using a mail 
server that allows direct smtp, imap and/or pop connections from your 
roaming laptop, then I would hope they are set up so that you can use 
secure versions/ports for those. But the specific configuration is up to 
and depends on your ISP and/or system administrator for your mail server.

Although banking and commercial storefront sites operate over https, I 
wouldn't use them in a public wireless setting. Just the remote chance 
of advanced hacking tools doing man in the middle attacks on "secure" 
connections is enough to give me the heebie jeebies. Presumably, any 
such known vulnerabilities have been patched in Software Updates, but 
there are always new things being discovered.

HTH


-- 
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Chris Hoogendyk

-
   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
 (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

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Erdös 4