Protect your Mac

18 ways to safeguard your data and your privacy right now

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Your Mac is the safest personal computer on the market. Even though we’ve had a couple of scares this year, there are still almost no Mac viruses. According to research done by Sophos (a maker of antivirus software), at press time there were only four known OS X viruses, compared with roughly 80,000 on Windows.

But let’s face it—we live in a dangerous world, and not all of those dangers (especially those to your privacy) are platform-specific. Here’s how to keep your personal information out of the wrong hands—and keep your Mac out of trouble.

  • Protect your Mac
  • 18 ways to safeguard your data and your privacy right now

  • Protect your Mac

    Are you leaving your Mac vulnerable to viruses, intruders, and other dangers? OS X may be more secure than other operating systems, but it's not invulnerable. Here are 18 things you can do right now to protect your Mac -- and your data -- from potential disaster.

  • Windows security for Mac users

    If you install and run Windows on your Mac, you leave the safe haven of the Mac platform. Here's a security regimen you can follow if you use Apple's Boot Camp to enter the Windows world.

  • Hacker-proof protection

    OS X comes with its own built-in firewall. And while it's a pretty good option, there are plenty of third-party firewall offerings as well. Which one is right for you? We put half-a-dozen to the test to find out.

  • Antiviral Armor

    As the Mac becomes more popular, its OS could start to attract the attention of malicious virus writers. As part of our series on Mac security, we look at three major Mac antivirus programs -- Intego's VirusBarrier X4, ClamXav 1.0.3, and Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 10.1 -- to see which one will offer the greatest peace of mind.

  • Security terms explained

    Zombies and worms and bots—oh my! Most Mac users haven’t had a reason to be familiar with the security world’s colorful terminology. Here’s a primer.

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