[Photocro]

Reading through a few posts here, after just getting and setting up my new Mac, I am wondering about setting up a firewall. I understand that Macs are not too available to the c**p out in the internets netherworlds, however, there must be minimal efforts that should, for obvious reasons I would think, just coming back from PC's, that should be taken by any Mac user as it is only a matter of time before Macs are attacked.

Firewall is one and I am wondering about the settings and their affects on the usefulness of a Mac on the internet. Also, I am wondering about any anti-spy/Virus that might be recommended. I guess it is having my PC ruined a number of times from spyware just corrupting the registry and running so many chkdsk's that I could spew. Don't want to go through this anymore and looking for clarity on these issues.

Incidentally, I love the Mac. Took a bit of getting used to and I am by no means an expert, far from it, but, this is a lot of fun, unlike the PC.

[chabig]

I go with Apple's default firewall settings. Others may disagree.

As for anti-virus/spyware, forget it. Macs are immune. Others may disagree with this statement also, as it's a bit simplistic. But for all practical purposes, it's true.

[Photocro]

We shall see. Thanks. As to Apple, the stock has doubled. Christmas sales were extremely strong. More notice from the carpet baggers of the internet you think? I take nothing for granted and would rather be safe than sorry. Probably an ex PC user and wrapped in paranoia is closer to the truth. I hope you are correct as I get your response from many others. That's what worries me.

[besson3c]

I don't mean to insinuate anything, but most people don't seem to really understand what a firewall is, and how it can be configured to provide security. They see it as this miraculous security providing "thing" that is either off or on. Depending on how your network is setup, you may not benefit from having the firewall enabled much at all. On the other hand, it might be absolutely vital to your security.

My least favorite products are all of these magic third party commercial firewalls for Windows that people buy unknowingly thinking that they are buying some sort of generic security.

My best advice if you really want to protect your Mac or any other computer with a network connection: learn about this stuff. You don't have to read a big thick book about this to get the basics, and you have us as a resource. I would definitely recommend learning as much as you can rather than relying on some just-add-water advice from people on the internet who may know less about security than you do!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Photocro 

We shall see. Thanks. As to Apple, the stock has doubled. Christmas sales were extremely strong. More notice from the carpet baggers of the internet you think? I take nothing for granted and would rather be safe than sorry. Probably an ex PC user and wrapped in paranoia is closer to the truth. I hope you are correct as I get your response from many others. That's what worries me.

Building on my last post, it is not an absolute given that Mac users will be hit hard with virus or malware problems even if their marketshare were to triple overnight. Yes it is a matter of time before some amount of damage is caused, but it is not a given that the problem would be an absolute epidemic like it has been under Windows. Windows XP is woefully secure because its security model is retarded and frankly unsuitable for the demands of modern computing.

[Aegis]

Macs certainly aren't immune to viruses, but at this point it's not worth it to get an anti-virus program. There are some simple things that can help keep you safe.

Firewalls are certainly important. OS X already comes with a built-in firewall. Tiger uses ipfw (which is a kernel level port based firewall) and Leopard uses an application based firewall. Plus the fact that you probably use a router which acts as a natural firewall.

I also like to use Little Snitch, which is a firewall for outgoing traffic (helps keep applications from phoning home when they shouldn't be and could theoretically help if one day a trojan got loose on OS X).

Besides that, the rest is mostly common sense. Most viruses will need root to cause real trouble. To gain root they must get an admin password. So never enter your admin password unless you're absolutely sure what it's for. Also, it can't hurt to download programs from reputable sites like MacUpdate and VersionTracker.

[Photocro]

I am merely asking what precautions need or need not be taken. Having just lost the viability of my photo editing software to registry corruptions on the old, and castaway now, PC I am feeling my way with the new Mac. Go easy on me. I am looking for knowledge and sources so that I can do my best to avoid any problems that could result from my ignorance. You guys are the experts, not me.

[besson3c]

Areas to learn more about in terms of securing OS X (and in the case of many of these, computers in general):

1) The built-in firewall

2) Sensible non-default application defaults (e.g. disable "open safe downloads" in Safari)

3) Filevault

4) If you need to run any Network services (e.g. Apache), learn about the security issues with these services

5) Avoid insecure network protocols such as http/WebDAV and FTP

6) Download the free Nessus network scanner if you want an automated security check and self-invoked inspection of your machine, but don't rely solely on these results