Mac Security Hub
Free, plain-English guides to securing your Mac. Each one is short, jargon-free, and aligned with the UK Cyber Essentials framework. Start with the basics and work through the rest at your own pace.
Getting Started
Account & Access
- CE: User Access Control
Secure your Apple Account
Your Apple Account is the key to your iCloud photos, backups, Find My, and anything you've bought from Apple. ...
- CE: User Access Control
Set up Touch ID and a strong login password
Your login password is the lock on your whole Mac. If it's short or reused from another account, that lock is ...
- CE: User Access Control
Use a standard account for everyday work
Most Macs are set up with a single administrator account that's used for everything. Doing your daily work in ...
- CE: User Access Control
Use iCloud Keychain or a password manager
Reusing passwords is the single most common reason accounts get taken over. A password manager fixes it by cre...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Turn on Find My Mac
If your Mac is lost or stolen, Find My lets you locate it, lock it, or erase everything on it from another App...
Malware Protection
- CE: Malware Protection
Gatekeeper: only run trusted apps
Gatekeeper is a macOS feature that checks an app is from a known, trusted source before it opens. It's your fi...
- CE: Malware Protection
How macOS blocks malware, and topping it up
Every Mac has built-in malware protection called XProtect. It works quietly in the background, updates itself,...
- CE: Malware Protection
Downloading software safely on a Mac
Most malware that reaches a Mac arrives inside something the owner downloaded and installed. The good news is ...
- CE: Malware Protection
Protecting a Mac from ransomware
Ransomware locks your files and demands money to unlock them. It's less common on Macs than on some systems, b...
Network & Connectivity
- CE: Firewalls
Turn on the macOS firewall
A firewall controls which connections are allowed to reach your Mac from the network. macOS has a good one bui...
- CE: Firewalls
Secure your home router
Your router is the gateway between your home and the internet, so securing it protects every device you own, n...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Using a VPN on a Mac
A VPN scrambles your internet connection so that others on the same network can't read it. It's most useful on...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Public Wi-Fi safety on a Mac
Public Wi-Fi in cafés, hotels, and airports is convenient, but you're sharing it with strangers and it's often...
Device & System
- CE: Security Update Management
Keep macOS up to date automatically
Software updates are the single most effective security habit there is. Most attacks rely on flaws that have a...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Turn on FileVault disk encryption
FileVault encrypts everything on your Mac's disk. Without it, someone who takes your laptop could read your fi...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Review privacy permissions
macOS asks apps to request permission before they can reach sensitive things like your camera, microphone, or ...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Turn off Sharing services you don't use
macOS can share your screen, files, and even a full remote login with other computers. These are handy for som...
- CE: Secure Configuration
Back up your Mac with Time Machine and iCloud
A backup is the safety net behind everything else. If your Mac is lost, broken, or hit by ransomware, a recent...
Threats & Incident Response
- CE: Malware Protection
Phishing and fake alerts on a Mac
Phishing is a message or pop-up designed to trick you into handing over a password or clicking something harmf...
- CE: Malware Protection
What to do if your Mac is compromised
If you think your Mac has been compromised, don't panic. Working through a few clear steps in order will limit...
- CE: Secure Configuration
If your Mac is lost or stolen
Losing a laptop is stressful, but if you've set a few things up in advance, your data stays protected and you ...
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