14 July 2008
Podcast: Ten tips to secure Apple Mac laptops Mac expert shares security advice with Apple Macintosh users

Graham Lee, senior Mac engineer at Sophos, offers advice to other Apple Mac users.
IT security and control firm Sophos today announced that it has published a new podcast offering free tips on how Apple Macintosh users can better secure their machines.
Graham Lee, senior Mac engineer at Sophos, is interviewed by Carole Theriault, where he shares a number of steps that Mac users can take to secure their laptops against physical data theft.
- Download and listen to the Sophos podcast "Ten tips to secure Mac laptops"
- Read the technical paper, containing all 10 tips
"The technical paper was written in light of recent research conducted by SophosLabs, which illustrated Mac malware is on the rise," said Carole Theriault, host of the Sophos podcasts. "Graham puts the threat into perspective, but explains that the user's interaction with the machine plays a much larger role in determining the success of a data theft attack rather than whether they run Windows or a Mac."
In the podcast, Lee discusses in detail three of the ten tips, all of which are highlighted in a freely available Sophos technical paper. Some of the advice offered includes changing the default Keychain password settings to ensure the Keychain and user account passwords are different, and storing the swap file in an encrypted format to avoid revealing key passwords.
"We know that there is no guarantee that you won't lose your Mac or have it nabbed by some opportunistic thief," continued Theriault. "These steps will help your information stay private, even if someone is trying to find out what secrets your machine might hold."
All Sophos podcasts are available for download at www.sophos.com/podcasts. Past podcasts have covered topics such as corporate security policies, rootkits, protecting educational establishments, and the latest trends in viruses and spam.
- USA number 1 for malware and spam
- Huge surge in email attachment attacks
- Scareware makes users buy bogus products
About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com

