Date: June 1st, 2004
Presenter: Brian Hoppe
Topic: Security for your Mac
Meeting Summary:
OMUG Member Brian Hoppe discussed a number of Macintosh security issues, including Hardware (Physical) Security (against theft, etc.), Data Security (encryption, OS X's File Vault, secure deletion, etc.), Internet/Network Security (firewalls, e-mail security issues, SSL in web browsers, and protecting your wireless network), and Anti-Virus protection issues for the Mac..
Brian's presentation gave an excellent overview of the various ways to protect your Mac against just about any threat, including outright theft (with both physical defenses such as security cables, alarms and locating it in a secure area and software protections such as lockout codes, "phone home" programs which send a location message whenever a stolen machine is hooked up to the interned, and "ID-Stamping" programs which give proof of ownership). Other threats and defenses were covered with equal thoroughness, with especially spirited discussion of issues such as Virus protection, firewalls, and anti-hacker defense.
By a coincidence, CompUSA (where the meeting was held) was having a promotion on a specialized shredder device, optimized for crosscut-shredding not just paper, but also flobby diskettes, CD-ROMs and DVDs. The store allowed us to borrow the floor demo so we could watch it munch a couple of CD-ROMs and a disk. CHOMP-CHOMP (erp!)....
Click on the link below to see the on-screen presentation Brian used to great effect as he disposed of the issues one by one:
Other references and links:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/