Macs All-in-One for Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter IV.4. Protecting Your Mac against Threats

In This Chapter

• Locking your Mac

• Setting up user accounts

• Using parental controls

With the worldwide connectivity of the Internet, everyone is vulnerable to everything, including malicious software (known as malware) and malicious people with above average computer skills (known as hackers). Although threats over the Internet attract the most attention, your Mac is also vulnerable from mundane threats, such as thieves who might want to steal your computer.

No matter how much you know about computers, you can always become a victim if you're not careful. Therefore, this chapter looks at the different ways to protect your Mac from both physical and cyber threats.

Locking Down Your Mac

Most people lock their car and house doors when they're away, and your Mac should be no exception. To protect your Mac physically, you can get a security cable that wraps around an immovable object (like that heavy rolltop desk you have in the den) and then attaches to your Mac. You can attach it by using glue, by threading it through a handle or hole in your Macintosh case, or by connecting it to a security slot built into your Mac. (The security slot is a tiny slot that a security cable plugs into. You might have to peek around the back or side of your Mac to find this security slot.)

Some companies that sell security cables are

• Kensington (http://us.kensington.com)

• Targus (www.targus.com)

• Belkin (www.belkin.com)

Note

Security cables can be cut. The main purpose ...