Is my Mac Air equipped with security software?
Just bought a Macbook - Air. Does it come equipped with security if I want to purchase something on line?
MacBook Air, iOS 6.1.4, Just bought it so am not sure
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Just bought a Macbook - Air. Does it come equipped with security if I want to purchase something on line?
MacBook Air, iOS 6.1.4, Just bought it so am not sure
If you are using Safari you should see a gray icon with the letters "https" and a closed lock icon in the address bar. Look there now. It means that you are using a secure protocol called Secure Sockets Layer. This means that you are secure.
However you are the master of the universe when it comes to security. If you click on a link in an email that asks for your username and password for your bank account, you are asking for trouble.
Yes. The Safari browser is a modern browser capable of connecting to secure web sites like onlline retailers. If the online store you want to buy from is legitimate you will see a little padlock icon indicating you have connected using https, an encrypted connection.
Your Mac does not come with general security software pre-installed like Windows machines because there is little in the way of viruses and malware out there for the Mac. The Mac OS X operating system has some basic malware detection built right in these days. If you would feel safer with security software installed there are also a number of commercial packages available.
Apple includes a number of security options, some of which are enabled by default and others that are optional. These include the following:
These options can be managed in the Security & Privacy system preferences in OS X, where you can enable them or adjust their settings.
For more information about security, with regard to malware, see my Mac Malware Guide.
If you are not referring to malware, there are many other aspects of security. Overall, a Mac right out of the box is pretty darn secure, as long as the user doesn't screw it up. What other things did you have in mind as a concern?
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is presumably effective against known attacks, but maybe not against unknown attacks. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. Beyond XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT, there’s no evidence of any benefit from other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what is trustworthy?
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
8. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
ClamXav may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use ClamXav unless a network administrator requires you to run an anti-virus application.
Topher Kessler wrote:
Apple includes a number of security options, some of which are enabled by default and others that are optional.
Another feature is File Quarantine -- For applications that support it, files you download from the Internet are checked for safety when you open them.
Is my Mac Air equipped with security software?