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Mac security: reality check

The real threats that face your Mac and what you can do about them

In the endless debates about Mac security—is the Mac platform inherently safer than Windows? what security measures should Mac users take?—one point is often overlooked: The biggest chink in computer security isn’t necessarily in the computer itself. Rather, the weak spot is often the computer operator—in other words, you.

Gullibility, greed, momentary lapses in attention, and other human frailties can all be easier to exploit than any vulnerabilities in computer code. Which means that, while your Mac and iPhone can indeed be vulnerable, there are things you can do to keep them safe..

In the stories below, I’ll explain the security threats that I think owners Macs and iPhones really do need to worry about. For each of them, I’ve got advice on how to avoid being victimized.

Rich Mogull has worked in the security world for 17 years. He writes for TidBits and works as a security analyst through Securosis.com.

Mac security reality check

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