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Old 13-09-2008, 21:08   #7
-Jon- -Jon- is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Scotland
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Computer security :: Defence (Macs)

If you use an apple mac then this is for you......

Before we begin I have to say, I dont have a mac and have never owned one. So this imformation is research from the internet I dont know if it is accurate for different versions of mac. But if anyone spots a mistake let me know and I will edit this. Thanks.

This is whats going to be covered in this post.

::: The difference between PCs and Macs :::
- Hardware and Software

::: Access Control :::
- Proper use of user accounts

::: Defending your Computer :::
- What could attack you
- What can you do to defend your computer

::: Maintaining your computer :::
- Software updates
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::: The difference between PCs and Macs :::

-Hardware and Software-

If you have a Mac then you know that when you want to upgrade your computer you have get an upgrade from Mac. You cant go to any computer shop and buy a new graphics card or memory and stick it in. This is for a good reason. With Windows and Linux it has to support all this different hardware and the people that make the hardware write the programs that Windows then uses to support that hardware these are 'Hardware drivers'.
Macs dont do that, the Mac operating system only supports Mac hardware, and since they make the hardware they can develop the software to work really well. And they dont need to rely on other companies for this software. These other companies might not write a good driver program and this would effect the computer. For example if I had a hard-drive in a Windows PC that used a new standard that Windows dosnt support yet and the driver program I installed to use this new hard-drive was crap. My hard-drive wouldnt perform as good as it can, and this would slow down the whole computer.
You dont ge tthis problem with Macs because apple make the hardware and design and develop the software specifically to run that hardware, instead of making a 'general' program that covers everything. This is the main difference between Macs and PCs And while it is good it is also bad because of cost. If I wanted to build a computer I can get a better deal if I shop around for components. And if I wanted to play the latest PC games I can build a machine for gaming.

Their are also other differences with the software I will compare Windows XP to OSX. In general security is better for OSX. You might have saw the advert that Mac made about Windows always crashing hand having millions of viruses, "while mac dosnt" this is just not true. Yes security is a little better and yes their are fewer viruse. The reason for this is because OSX has a similar design to Linux and their are not as many Macs as Windows PCs, so macs dont get targeted. But their are viruses for Macs they do exist. So dont think your safe.

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::: Access Control :::

-Proper use of user accounts-

This is where Mac users have a little advantage over the Windows users. As I said 'OSX has a similar design to Linux' and that is here. OSX creates a 'root' user when you set it up. And then the account you use is a normal account. Where in Windows you might be using an Administrator (root) account and not know about it. Finally I dont know if this is a fact but I think OSX only allows one 'root' account. Which is what you want. Not like windows where their can be multiple Administrator accounts.
If you want to know why its dangerous to use a root account like a normal account. Then read this section in the 'Defence (Windows)' topic.

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::: Defending your Computer :::

-What could attack you-

First thing you should do is read the 'Common threats' topic for a general idea os what you need to defend yourself against. After that their are few 'mac only' things you need to be aware of. There are enough Linux and Mac computers running that it is now worth a virus writer or cracker's time to attack these systems. Office for Mac has provided a way for some virus writers to attack Macs. And they use it to do just that. Another common way Macs can be attacked is through 'Cross-platform applications' Thats things Like Java and Flash that run on Windows, Mac and Linux. Really any machine where you can install Java or Flash. Mobile phones for example that run the Symbian OS.
This might not be 'Mac only' but you need to be made aware of it. This is because while Windows users and Linux users already take extra precautions against these threats. Many Mac users dont know about them and feel protected simply because they believe the adverts Apple make.

-What can you do to defend your computer-

First thing you can do is teach yourself, be informed and keep an eye out for the latest exploits. You have the internet at your disposal, it is possable to find information on nearly anything. I have found everything from the specification for 'chip & pin' to firearms manuals to assembling nuclear weapons. Do I have any use for that information not really, but its out their. The first thing you can do to help you find information is learning how to look for it. You will eventually find what your looking for but if you want to find it faster and find more sources. read about using search engines, learn how to do advanced google searches.
After that you wll be able to find what your looking for easier and ofcourse save yourself from looking through all the crap thats on the internet to get to it. Other places of interest are proffessional bodies. Their are organisations set up by governments around the world that montier viruses and worms and where they have spread / how they spread. And thoes sites have lots of information on them you, me and everyone can benifit and learn from.

Macs like Linux provide a decent firewall, but you should make sure its activated. Whats the point in having a door if you dont lock it? To activate the firewall go to: 'System Preferences->Sharing->Firewall' then click Start to activate the firewall. Stop will de-activate the firewall. Next you will want to disable automatic login. Automatic log in will automatically log the computer into your account allowing access to your files and services. To disable automatic log in, open: 'System Preferences->Accounts->Login Options' and un-check 'Automatically log in'. Next it is important to get an Anti-virus and Anti-spyware program. Their are a few out their for macs but you should have them installed. The number of Mac viruses and other bad programs is increasing, so it is something you need to find out about and protect yourself against.
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::: Maintaining your computer :::

-Software updates-

Updates are crucial for all of your programs even the operating system itself. Apple Software Update will provide both security fixes as well as product upgrades, so you might receive a new version of iTunes and security updates both at the same time. Software update options are available from: 'Apple menu->Software Update...->Software Update->Preferences' If someone finds a bug and exploits it, this effects everyone untill that bug is fixed with an update. Thats why . Its not only the operating system you need to update as every program is bound to be improved or a bug spotted in it. So you need to get the latest version.
You should also make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are updated regularly. you should check this once a week minimum every few days is good, but if you are in charge of something important like a server, then you need to check daily. And yes it is that serious. if a new bug was found in OSX tonight, the bug can be exploited instantly. And from that your computer can be attacked.

That is the end of the mac section, if anyone has any questions or needs something explained or wants to point out something I might have missed, please do. But keep in mind I have limited knowladge of Macs sosome of you, that actually have Macs, will know more than me.
- Jon.
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