![]() ![]()
Use Mac FileVault for full-disk encryption. On Mavericks, Flash and Java have their own configuration items in the System Preferences window:īoth products can be set up to check for updates automatically:Ĥ. In addition to scheduled updates, both Adobe and Oracle sometimes issue emergency fixes, often called out-of-band updates. Adobe’s red-letter days are the second Tuesday in March, June, September and December. Oracle issues regular security patches on the Tuesday closest to the 17th of April, July, October and January. #ANY APPLICATIONS LIKE TYPESTYLER UPDATE#→ Unfortunately, Oracle and Adobe use different update calendars. ![]() If you use Oracle Java and Adobe Flash, remember that they have their own security patches to apply. #ANY APPLICATIONS LIKE TYPESTYLER SOFTWARE#Don’t forget security updates for non-Apple software such as Java and Flash ![]() If you find that you do need Java after all, you can always turn it back on again. The truth is, you probably don’t need Java to use the web, so having the Java plugin enabled just puts you at needless risk. In 2012, an attack on another vulnerability in Java infected 600,000 Macs with the Flashback malware (including some in Apple’s Cupertino headquarters). So, if you’re on a pre-Mavericks version of OS X, make sure you turn it off in your web browser.Īpple’s own employees had their Macs compromised by malware in February 2013 via a vulnerability in Java that criminals also exploited to compromise Mac users at Microsoft and Facebook around the same time. One of the cybercriminals’ favorite targets is Java.Īlthough Java is disabled by default on Mavericks, it should be turned off if you’re not on Mavericks yet. These phony package delivery messages actually contained malware designed to dig around in your Mac for interesting files, which the crooks then uploaded to a server under their control. OS X malware is much less common than malware attacking Windows, with the result that many Mac users seem to have adopted a rather casual attitude to security patches.īut cybercriminals are definitely trying to exploit Mac users who fall behind.įor example, we recently reported on digitally signed Mac malware that arrived as an undelivered courier item. from the Apple menu to check for updates manually, or go to Apple Menu|System Preferences|App Store to set up your Mac to check for updates automatically: It’s easy to keep your Mac up to date with security fixes. Once you’ve upgraded to Mavericks, which you can consider our Tip Zero if you like, here are five steps you can take to give yourself an edge against cybercrime: 1. #ANY APPLICATIONS LIKE TYPESTYLER DOWNLOAD#in the Apple menu to download Mavericks, or visit the Mac App Store.īe warned: it’s a big update, totalling about 6GB for the Mavericks download and the update to the latest point release, OS X 10.9.2.īut you will be moving forward to the latest, fully-supported-and-patched OS X version. Mavericks came out of the gate with numerous security improvements, and we recommend that the first thing you should do to stay secure on your Mac is to upgrade. Our own survey of Macs running Sophos Anti-Virus, conducted at the start of 2014, showed that only about 18% of enterprise Mac users are running Mavericks, with 19% still running the out-of-support Snow Leopard. #ANY APPLICATIONS LIKE TYPESTYLER UPGRADE#Since Apple released Mavericks in October 2013, a lot of people have upgraded, but the majority of Mac users are still running something older.įor business users, companies have been even slower to upgrade than home users. In order to get Mac users to upgrade to OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple is giving away the upgrade for free: a good move by Apple, but not everyone is up to date. Poor Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) is left out in the cold. Similarly, the OS X 10.9.1 point release was not accompanied by corresponding updates for 10.7 and 10.8 users.īut in Apple’s latest Mac security update, when Mavericks 10.9.2 was released, the company published security fixes for Lion and Mountain Lion at the same time. When Apple released OS X 10.9, better known as Mavericks, it included a raft of security fixes that didn’t come out for OS X 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion). Windows XP users have known for a long time (or should know by now) that Microsoft is ending support for XP in April.ĭoes anyone really know when Apple will end support for previous releases of OS X, or even what its current commitment is to support those versions? Microsoft also has a long view about product retirement that appears to be totally lacking in Apple’s case. This can leave many users unaware of the updates and even unconcerned with their own security. Unlike Microsoft, which has a long-standing and regular process for providing security updates, Apple simply provides updates when it feels like it. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t have a good reputation for transparency about security updates. Security for Macs is often a hotly-debated topic, perhaps because Apple has a reputation for security that is based more on a brand promise than reality. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |