Mac

##Threats Windows PCs continues to be the dominant operating system for laptop and desktop computers, but a significant number of users use Macs and the OS X operating system. In the past people believed that Macs could not get viruses, but recently more and more malware have appeared targeting OS X. You are also open to many of the other threats discussed in this document.

##Solution For OS X there are tons of security features that can be configured and modified in various configurations to affect the security posture of your system. The following sections should also be considered when you are thinking about the overall security of your device:

• Local Storage
• Password Managers
• Backups
• Browsers
• Updates

##Best Practices

• Only install trusted applications from the Mac App Store (enable Gatekeeper).
• Ensure that the Firewall is enabled.
• Disable iCloud storage if you're concerned about uploading sensitive data to the cloud, but enable the "Find my Mac" feature (this will take some tinkering with settings to get it right). Test the "Find my Mac" feature before you need it.
• Enable a strong lock screen password.
• Be wary of applications that ask you for your admin password or need administrator permissions to run.
• Disable the guest account.
• Schedule regular Time Machine backups to an encrypted external drive. Time Machine backs up your data as well as system files.

##Resources

• For the highly security conscious user, check out this guide - http://www.macworld.com/article/2048160/how-the-nsa-snoop-proofs-its-macs.html