[Hidden-tech] Mac security question

[Robert Heller]

At Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:55:37 -0400 Chris Hoogendyk <hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu> wrote:

> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 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).

'Shared Libraries' per se have nothing to do with file sharing over the
network.  OTOH, shared libraries should only be in 'standard' places (eg
/usr/lib, /lib, and maybe /usr/local/lib).  Shared libraries elsewhere
(using under some application's bin dir, etc.).

> 
> 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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