Intermediate · Lessons: 5
Layers of security: native hygiene for a safer Mac
A step-by-step plan, from threat modelling to encryption, backups and a firewall, for people who can’t afford a breach.
- 1 Start with a threat model
Before changing a single setting, answer five questions that decide which protections are actually worth your time.
7 min - 2 Accounts: passwords, passkeys and two-factor authentication
A unique password everywhere, a manager to remember them, passkeys where they exist, and two-factor authentication on everything that offers it.
8 min - 3 Protect the device itself
FileVault, a strong login password, staying updated, Find My, and Lockdown Mode for the small number of people who need it.
8 min - 4 Protect the network
What the built-in macOS firewall actually blocks, basic Wi-Fi hygiene, why plain DNS is not private, and what a VPN does and does not do.
9 min - 5 Backups, recovery, and when to ask for expert help
The 3-2-1 backup rule, how Time Machine applies it on a Mac, and two organizations that help people at real risk.
7 min
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