Mac at Work

Chapter 23

Security

Gone are the days when we can use our computers without concern for security. Your Mac is important to you; it is an expensive machine containing important data that allows you to get ahead at work. You need to take steps to protect both the Mac and the data on it. The Mac features some useful security tools, both built-in and from independent developers, to keep your computer and your data safe. This chapter explains the best practices for securing your Mac.

Physical Security

When addressing computer security, the importance of physical security is often overlooked. It is much easier to steal your data, ideas, and information if someone has physical possession of your Mac than through some indirect Internet-based attack. So how do you keep prying hands off your Mac?

A law enforcement friend once told me about one of the most common criminal gambits for stealing laptops. The criminals work coffee shops as a team and look for someone near an exit. The first team member, usually an attractive woman, approaches and distracts the unwitting victim. The other team member then snatches the laptop and runs out the door. When done properly, the laptop is halfway down the street before the owner realizes it’s gone. Be careful.

The best tool to protect your computer’s physical security is your own common sense. If you find yourself in a coffee shop and want a refill, do not walk across the room leaving your computer on the table. Shut the lid and carry it with you. ...