Apple has long positioned itself as a company that believes in your right to privacy. Here’s how to use the privacy tools it comes with macOS for desktop Macs. Go through all the steps and be sure to stay safe online on your Apple devices.
Use a strong passcode
To secure your Mac, all your data, and your privacy, creating a strong alphanumeric login password is essential. The temptation to use something short or easy to remember is understandable, but if your Mac goes missing, your life is at risk. So go into Security and Privacy > General and press change the password to choose something more difficult.
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Convenience or privacy?
When you are in Security and Privacy > General, check the Password required checkbox. This sets how long you can leave your Mac idle before you have to use the password again. While it’s tempting to tweak this setting a little longer if you’re using a complex connection, it’s a false economy if you frequently use your Mac in a public place.
Of course, setting your Mac to lock after a second of inactivity can be a bit illogical when you’re trying to get work done. I tend to set this to five minutes and make sure to manually lock my Mac when I turn my back.
Use the firewall
Macs have a built-in firewall and you really need to use it to protect against network intrusions. Open them System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall to activate it. While you’re there, you should also enable stealth mode. This prevents your computer from responding or acknowledging attempts to access it from the network using tools such as Ping. This makes it much harder to target your Mac when using a public hotspot, for example.
Always use a VPN
Mac users should use a VPN (virtual private network) because it’s much harder for others to hack or track your internet traffic. If your company offers a VPN, use it. If not, it is worth investing in a reputable provider, as some free VPN services are not trustworthy. For just a few dollars a month, you can significantly boost your online security.
Choosing a good provider is important because you need to verify that the service they provide complies with the company’s security policy. If you are looking for a secure VPN provider, the Surfshark macOS VPN can help you with that.
In Safari, use private browsing mode
One way to prevent malicious apps from stealing data they find about you in Safari history is to use private browsing mode. When you do, Safari doesn’t remember the pages you visit:
- In Safari press File > New Private WindowWhere
- To lean on Shift-Command-N.
- You can also require Safari to always open windows in incognito mode. Open Safari > Preferences > General and in “Safari opens with “select” A new private window.”
Use Safari’s Privacy Report
Safari on Mac now provides a privacy report for every website you visit – just tap the shield icon next to the address bar in Safari. It provides you with information collected by Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention tool and displays any trackers that attempt to monitor you through this site.
You can also access much more detailed information by choosing Safari > Privacy Report. This will show you all the sites that have tried to track you and tell you which trackers are most active. It will also tell you how many times Safari blocked a tracker from profiling you.
Change your search engine
Open Safari > Preferences > Search and in the search engine drop-down list, select DuckDuckGo like your default. It’s one of the best ways to protect your privacy that I know of because it’s a search engine that can deliver great results that doesn’t stalk you.
Check your passwords
Safari has a password audit feature that you can access from the app through Preferences > Passwords. You’ll need to enter your login password, after which you can cycle through all the sites and services that Safari knows you have password access to.
Look for a small yellow triangle.
If you see one, select it, then press the button Detail to know more. You will be notified if a password is easy to crack or if you have requested it from multiple sites.