MacTech: Mac OS X Security - Internet Security: MacTech

Securing a Mac OS X workstation for stand-alone or home use out of the box
Volume Number: 17 (2001)
Issue Number: 4
By Jesse Corbeil

Note: Mac OS X is currently in Public Beta. The final version may invalidate any or all of this paper. That's just a chance we take when we write how-tos about beta operating systems

In the world of operating systems, the Macintosh platform has traditionally been everybody else's secure neighbour. Not many virii or cracks affected the Mac (unless we counted cross-platform Word macros), and we were generally spared the heaps of abuse that were laid onto our Windows-using brethren. Whether this has been due to the brotherly Mac community or the simple fact that there aren't enough Mac OS computers out there to make it worthwhile is up for debate. The truth will become clear when we all trash our old Macs and buy brand-new Cubes to run Apple's swank new OS. Why is that? Because Mac OS X is nothing more than a shiny interface on top of a tweaked BSD core, and BSD is very much slugging it out at the centre of the cracks and exploits blattleground. With that in mind, this article will discuss how to secure the default installation for a workstation or for home use.

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