Mac® Security Bible

Chapter 2. Securing Your Mac against Theft

IN THIS CHAPTER

Physically locking down your Mac

Using an anti-theft alarm

Helping police (or a good Samaritan) return a lost or stolen Mac to you

Using software to track a wayward Mac

Mac OS X contains all sorts of tools you can use to protect your Mac against having its data accessed without permission — either in person or over a network. However, these are of little use to you if your Mac itself is stolen. So, your first order of business in thinking about Mac security should be to consider the physical security of your computer.

Numerous gadgets exist to reduce the chances of a Mac moving from a designated spot or at least to alert you if someone tries to take it. But despite your best efforts, a thief could still potentially make off with your computer. Even if that happens, though, all is not lost: If you've planned ahead, you can still take steps to recover a stolen Mac, ranging from the mundane (marking it so that police can identify it and its owner more easily) to the innovative (using a sticker that offers a unique tracking code and offers a reward for its return) to the high-tech (using tracking software to figure out where a thief has taken it).

In this chapter, I cover a variety of ways you can prevent your Mac from being stolen or get it back if someone does steal it.