Make Mac OS X Yosemite more secure - the best tips

With OS X Yosemite, Apple has donated numerous tools that make your Mac more secure. We have summarized the most important ones for you.

Make Mac OS X Yosemite more secure: Secure login

• Turn off automatic login in the login options of the user settings. You then have to log in each time with your name and password. How to protect your Mac and data from unauthorized access. Also activate the password prompt when exiting the screen saver and in sleep mode.
• Under "Users & Groups -> Login options" deactivate all options. As a result, the Mac cannot restart, shutdown, or go to sleep in the login window.
• You can save your system settings by protecting them with a password under "General Settings" and setting the Mac to automatically log the user out after a certain time.

Mac OS X Yosemite encrypts your hard drive

• All data on your hard drive is encrypted under Yosemite using the "FileVault 2" feature. If desired, encryption can also be used on external hard drives.
• The only thing you have to do is activate the feature under "Security" in the "FileVault" tab. Mac OS X Yosemite guides you through the setup step by step. You must then enter your password for decryption and approval.
• Instead of the entire hard disk, you can only encrypt individual data. For this you do not use "FileVault", but create a virtual drive in the hard disk utility under "File" with "New" -> "Empty Image". Save your sensitive data here, because you need to enter a password to mount the drive. Apple offers 128-bit and 256-bit encryption for encryption. We always recommend stronger encryption, even if it costs performance.

Not new - the gatekeeper under OS X Yosemite

The Gatekeeer is not a new element from Yosemite. However, you should also set it correctly for the security of your Mac:

• The safest way to drive is to set Gatekeeper so that only apps from the app store can be loaded.
• If you would like to download an app from another source, you should give your individual permission.

Mac gone - what now?

If your Mac is stolen, this is of course more than annoying. With Yosemite, you can at least prevent the thief from gaining access to your data:

• You can remotely reset your Mac to factory settings and delete all data. In order to run "Remote Wipe", the Mac must be logged in to iCloud.
• If you go to "iCloud.com" in the browser of a PC and click on "My iPhone", the search will start. If the Mac is displayed, click on the small "i" next to it. In the dialog window, you can now reset the Mac to the factory settings by clicking on the "Remote Wipe" button and thus delete all data.
• In the same dialog window you can also execute "Remote Lock" instead of "Remote Wipe". The Mac is locked here so that unauthorized persons can no longer access it. If you've lost your Mac and are hoping for an honest finder, you can also send a message to the Mac's home screen from this window.