Security & Privacy

It’s important to protect your data and your identity on your Mac. There are myriad threats to your data, your identity, and your privacy, and macOS has a number of features that can protect you. Whether you’ve just bought a new Mac, or whether you want to ensure that your Mac is as secure as possible, here are ten security and privacy features you should set up on your Mac.

Your user account

Every Mac needs an administrator account. This is an account that has the permission to install software and to make changes to certain parts of macOS. When trying to make changes to certain panes of System Settings, you need to authenticate with the administrator’s user name and password.  This is the case in the Users & Groups pane; you don’t want just anyone to be able to create new accounts. You also need to this in the Security & Privacy pane, the Sharing pane, and the Startup Disk setting in the General pane. These settings give you access to sensitive elements of your Mac, and they need to be protected.

By default, the first user account on a Mac is an administrator account, but it can be risky to use this account regularly. If malware or exploits attack your Mac, and you are logged into this account, they can access more files and do more damage. It’s safest, even if you are the only user of your Mac, to create a second account, one without all the same elevated rights. To do this, go to System Settings > Users & Groups, click Add User, then authenticate. This unlocks the setting and you can create a new standard user account.

You’ll still be able to authenticate when you need to, such as in System Settings, by entering the administrator’s user name and password, but since it’s not the active account, there is less risk of damage if your Mac is attacked.

While you’re in the Users & Groups settings, make sure Automatically log in as is disabled. Then, click i next to Guest User and make sure Allow guests to log into this computer is disabled. If you do have a friend who needs to use your Mac briefly when visiting, you can turn the Guest User back on, but you should not leave it on all the time.

Use a secure password for your accounts

You are probably aware of how important it is to have a secure password. This is especially the case for your Mac’s user accounts, because if anyone can access them, they can access all your data, including passwords to web sites and apps you use.

You need to ensure that your password is secure, but also that you can remember it. We have a number of tips about how to create secure passwords in this article.

If you have a Mac that supports Touch ID – any recent laptop, or a desktop with a Touch ID capable keyboard – you should set up Touch ID in the Touch ID & Password settings. This allows you to quickly log into your Mac, authenticate for many actions, and make purchases in the App Store and other Apple apps. Note that you still need to use your password when restarting your Mac, or when authenticating in System Settings.

Use a password manager for all your passwords

In addition to the login password you use on your Mac, you should use a password manager to store other passwords. Apple’s Passwords app, available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, stores passwords securely and auto-fills them when you need them in Safari. This app is locked using your login password on your Mac, or your passcode on your iPhone or iPad, and all your passwords sync to iCloud, so they are available on all your Apple devices.

For more on the Passwords app, see How to use Apple’s Passwords app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

If you don’t want to use Apple’s Passwords app, there are other password managers that you might want to try. See 4 Best Password Managers in 2025: How to choose the right one for you.

Protect your data with FileVault

FileVault is Apple’s full-disk encryption feature. When you activate FileVault, no one will be able to steal data from a powered-down Mac’s drive without knowing your password. FileVault is powerful and secure, and is especially useful to protect your Mac in case it gets lost or stolen. Everyone should turn on FileVault. You can find FileVault settings in the Privacy & Security pane of System Settings; follow the instructions in this article to enable FileVault.

Install security software

To protect your data and network traffic, a security suite is recommended. Malware is real and it’s out there, even for Mac; in fact, you may have already transferred some over from your old computer. A solid anti-malware solution (like VirusBarrier X9) will clean up any malware that may already be present, and protect you going forward. A two-way firewall (like NetBarrier X9) will secure your network traffic, helping ensure no one gains unauthorized access to your Mac or exfiltrates data from it.

Naturally, we recommend Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9, which bundles both VirusBarrier and NetBarrier. But whichever security tools you choose, make sure to activate and properly configure them. Default settings should generally be good enough, but it’s a good idea to take a closer look to familiarize yourself with the product. You can then customize these settings to better meet your needs and preferences. (Learn more: How to Download and Install Intego Software for Mac)

Back up your data

Backing up your data is like having an insurance policy. You hope you will never need your backups, but you want to have them just in case. macOS comes with Time Machine, an easy-to-use backup feature, which you can set up in the General pane of System Settings. All you need is an external hard drive or a network volume, and Time Machine automatically backs up your Mac every hour. We’ve previously covered how to use Time Machine and how to implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy.

It’s even better to have two backup systems in case one fails; that hard drive won’t last forever. Intego Personal Backup, which is part of Intego’s Mac Premium Bundle X9, provides more powerful backup tools and options, and together these two systems can help ensure that you never lose data.

Automatically lock your Mac

Your Mac requires a password when you start it up, and you should also set it so this is required when it’s been asleep, or if a screen saver has kicked in. In the Lock Screen pane of System Settings, check the menu next to Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off and select “immediately.” This means you’ll enter your password more often, but if you have a laptop with Touch ID, or if you use your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac, unlocking it will be quick.

In the screenshot above, this setting is enabled by default because my Mac has iPhone Mirroring enabled.

Turn on Find My Mac

When you set up a Mac, you’re prompted to enter your Apple Account user name and password. Doing this enables the Mac to use iCloud, which can sync a lot of your useful data and store files in the cloud. You don’t have to use iCloud, but without signing into your iCloud account, your Mac loses many useful features.

One great feature in iCloud is Find My Mac. (It’s also Find My iPhone, Find My iPad, etc., on other devices.) When you enable Find My Mac, you can use it to find a lost computer, play a sound on the device, mark it as lost, or even erase it to protect your data.

Even if you don’t use iCloud for your contacts, calendars, email, and other data, turning on Find My Mac is essential, since it allows you to lock and erase a lost or stolen Mac to protect your data.

Software updates

You’ll be updating software often on your Mac. Both macOS and the apps you use have regular updates, and it’s important to install security updates as soon as possible.

In the System Settings > General > Software Update preference pane, click ⓘ next to Automatic Updates. I have my Macs automatically check for updates, and, since I have the bandwidth, download new updates when available. However, I don’t recommend turning on automatic updates. When I’m working on an important project, I don’t want my apps, or macOS itself, to be updated. It is important, however, to check Install Security Responses and system files, so they get to your Mac as soon as possible. Some of these update in the background and don’t require a restart.

Note that these update settings only affect macOS and apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. Many apps have their own updaters and update settings.

Prevent unauthorized apps from launching

Near the bottom of the Privacy & Security pane of System Settings, there is a setting which determines which types of apps can launch on your Mac. Next to Allow applications from, there is a drop-down menu with two options: App Store and App Store and Known Developers. Both of these settings can help prevent malicious apps that don’t have an Apple developer certificate from launching.

For many users, the first setting is ideal: you may not ever need to install apps that are not from the App Store. However, if you use apps such as web browsers other than Safari, or any other third-party app not on the Mac App Store, you should opt for the second setting.

With these settings and features, your Mac will be much more secure than if you just set it up using the defaults. Take a few minutes and help your Mac protect your security, your privacy, and your data.

How can I learn more?

Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, including security and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be sure to follow the podcast to make sure you don’t miss any episodes.

You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter and keep an eye here on The Mac Security Blog for the latest Apple security and privacy news. And don’t forget to follow Intego on your favorite social media channels:       

About Kirk McElhearn