[RickR]

I have a MacBook Pro and I'm wondering what I can do to secure the data the best I can in case it's stolen. When I had a Windows Laptop I had a password to log on. I know someone could still get into it without too much trouble with a reinstall of Windows, going through DOS, etc.
My question, what is the best way to do this on a Mac? I set up a logon password so when my screen saver comes up in a minute of no use it requires a password to get back in. Yet all someone has to do is a restart and for some reason it goes straight into OS X without asking for a password. Is there a way to change this?
Is it possible for me to somehow encrypt my data to somehow further protect it? Of course I don't want to do anything that will slow my system down.

[Big Mac]

Go to the Accounts pane of System Preferences, click on the options button and turn off Auto Login.

However, if someone has physical access to your computer, they'll still be able to get your data unless it's encrypted. Apple put File Vault in Tiger, but it can easily lead to data loss. The thing to do is use encrypted disk images created by Disk Utility and to not store the passwords to them in your keychain.

[OreoCookie]

I second the suggestion for either File Vault or encrypted disk images for private data. It's up to you whether you think it's necessary to encrypt all of your user data or just select portions of it. This will effectively protect your files from anyone accessing the machine.

Furthermore, you have to enable the following: (i) activate secure virtual memory, (ii) authorization upon wake-up and to disable the screen saver. (ii) is particularly important: if somebody steals your laptop while you are logged in, he would have full access to your data, unless you require the user to authenticate him/herself.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

The thing to do is use encrypted disk images created by Disk Utility and to not store the passwords to them in your keychain.

How do you create an encrypted disc image? Is the encryption the same as in FileVault?

[macintologist]

In Disk Utility, create a new image, the type being "encrypted".

Could someone fill me in on how to make it an expanding image? Like sparse?

[mitchell_pgh]

1) Launch Disk Utility (in the utilities folder under applications).
2) Click the "New Image" button at the top.
3) In the window that appears, enter the name, size of the encrypted disk you would like, choose AES-128 for encryption and read/write.

Presto...

You will be prompted for a password... REMEMBER IT.

The BEST thing to do is to NOT put sensitive data on your laptop. I use a thumb drive (encrypted) that holds all of my "secret stuff" and it stays in my pocket (which I back up to my home computer regularly). Everything else on my laptop would be viewed by anyone and I wouldn't be upset.

If that isn't an option, perhaps you should consider a portable drive for when you are working from home. Again, it's a little annoying, but it's the price for absolute security.

[stoptheft]

Doug Belfiore
Director of Customer Relations
STOP – Security Tracking of Office Property

What an amazing spammer your company is, truly impressive. -Peter

[stoptheft]

Doug Belfiore
Director of Customer Relations
STOP – Security Tracking of Office Property

What an amazing spammer your company is, truly impressive. -Peter

[Cold Warrior]

Can anyone recommend a free Windows disk image-style program that supports strong encryption? Particularly a lightweight app that'd fit on a flash drive along with the disk images it'd be use to create, encrypt, and mount.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by stoptheft 

But as a representative of a firm that SPAMS COMPUTER FORUMS...

FIxed.

Go away, spammer!

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Furthermore, you have to enable the following: (i) activate secure virtual memory, (ii) authorization upon wake-up and to disable the screen saver.

Could you tell me what "secure virtual memory" is?

[peeb]

Virtual memory is applications using a hard disc to simulate more memory than is actually available. There is a risk of data being left on the disc in open form. Secure vm encrypts this.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

Can anyone recommend a free Windows disk image-style program that supports strong encryption? Particularly a lightweight app that'd fit on a flash drive along with the disk images it'd be use to create, encrypt, and mount.

PGP will do that for you.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

Could you tell me what "secure virtual memory" is?

Your swap file is encrypted as well. Virtual memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[inkhead]

Actually the biggest threat to security would be the automatically unlocked keychain.

[Scott-G]

Originally Posted by inkhead 

Actually the biggest threat to security would be the automatically unlocked keychain.

For the key chain to automatically be unlocked you need to know the login password. If you change the login password by booting into unix and changing it via root it will no longer match the keychain password and, therefore, will not automatically unlock.