Mac Tips & Tricks: Privacy and security - ten minutes well spent
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Privacy and security - ten minutes well spent.
Macs have a good reputation for security, and it's mostly deserved. But a lot of the best protection isn't switched on by default - it's sitting in System Settings waiting for you to say yes. The good news is that this is a one-off job. Ten minutes now means your laptop is encrypted, findable if it walks off, and a lot less chatty about your data. Here's what we'd turn on if we were sitting at your desk.
1. Turn on FileVault. This is the big one.
FileVault encrypts everything on your Mac's drive. Without it, someone who gets hold of your laptop can pull the drive contents out without ever knowing your password. With it on, the data is just noise unless they can log in as you. On Apple silicon Macs the performance hit is essentially zero, so there's no real reason not to.
→ System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault > Turn On. If it already says 'On', you're done.
→ You'll be asked how to recover the disk if you forget your password - either via your Apple Account or with a recovery key.
→ If you choose the recovery key, write it down and keep it somewhere that isn't the Mac. A lost key with no iCloud fallback means lost data.
→ Encryption runs in the background. Carry on working, plug in the charger, and it'll finish on its own.
2. Set up Find My Mac before you need it.
Find My isn't just for iPhones. It'll show your Mac on a map, play a sound, lock it remotely, or wipe it entirely if it's gone for good. It also enables Activation Lock, which makes a stolen Mac far less useful to whoever has it. It takes about thirty seconds to switch on and it is genuinely worth doing today.
→ System Settings > your name at the top > iCloud > Find My Mac - turn it on, and allow Location Services when prompted.
→ Enable 'Find My network' too - it can locate the Mac even when it's asleep or offline.
→ Check it works: go to icloud.com/find on your phone and confirm the Mac appears in the list.
→ If the Mac was supplied by your employer, mention Find My to your IT contact so it doesn't clash with any device management they use.
3. Audit which apps can see what.
Every app that wants your camera, microphone, location, contacts or screen has to ask permission first - and macOS keeps a tidy list of who said yes to what. Most people click 'Allow' in a hurry during setup and never look again. Five minutes with this list usually turns up two or three apps that don't need what they've got.
→ System Settings > Privacy & Security, then work down the list: Location Services, Camera, Microphone, Screen & System Audio Recording, Full Disk Access.
→ Toggle off anything that doesn't obviously need the access. You can always switch it back on when an app complains.
→ Watch the menu bar: an orange dot means the microphone is live, a green dot means the camera is.
→ In Safari, use Settings > Privacy and the Privacy Report in the toolbar to see which trackers have been blocked on your behalf.
4. Two settings for the extra-cautious.
Advanced Data Protection and Lockdown Mode both go further than most people need - but if you handle sensitive client work, or you're simply the type who'd rather be over-protected, they're there. Advanced Data Protection is the one we'd suggest more often; Lockdown Mode is deliberately restrictive and best reserved for genuinely high-risk situations.
→ Advanced Data Protection: System Settings > your name > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection. This end-to-end encrypts almost all your iCloud data, including backups and Photos.
→ Before turning it on, set up a recovery contact or recovery key - Apple can no longer reset your data for you afterwards.
→ Lockdown Mode: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode. It blocks most message attachments, some web technologies and unknown FaceTime calls.
→ Both are reversible. If something stops working, switch it off and everything returns to normal.
• FileVault and Find My are the two that matter most. If you only do two things from this article, do those.
• Keep macOS updated - System Settings > General > Software Update, and turn on automatic updates. Most real-world attacks target software that's months out of date.
• Recovery keys and recovery contacts are not optional extras. Strong encryption with no way back in is a fast route to losing your own files.
• A screen lock still matters: System Settings > Lock Screen, and set the Mac to require a password immediately after the screen saver starts.
• Not sure whether a setting suits how you work? Ask before you flip it - that's what we're here for.
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