Matias Secure Pro wireless keyboard review: A power tool for the paranoid

Matias Secure Pro wireless keyboard $170.00 This quiet, portable, wireless mechanical keyboard boasts an over-the-top security feature. Our reviewer didn't like the feel of its switches, though, and it's very expensive.

The wireless Matias Secure Pro keyboard’s number-one claim to fame is its 128-bit AES encryption. I’ll get into that later. My favorite feature is that it’s quiet. You’d hardly know this was a mechanical keyboard from the sound it makes. It’s close to the volume level of a typical membrane keyboard, if a little sharper or clickier at times. You could use this board in any office or in a bedroom without disturbing a soul.

Be that as it may, I’m not a huge fan of typing on it.

Far from the ergonomic relief I expect from a mechanical keyboard, the Matias switches inside the Secure Pro made my fingers exhausted. And that’s saying something, considering I type on Cherry Blues on a daily basis. Those switches are known for their abnormally high resistance.

The Secure Pro scuttles most of the benefits of a mechanical keyboard. 

Activating a key on the Secure Pro reminds me of a rubber-dome keyboard. Significant resistance at the top begins to yield as you push past that initial hurdle—almost exactly like a membrane keyboard.

As a result, the Secure Pro scuttles most of the benefits of a mechanical keyboard. It’s too easy to bottom-out its keys, which is bad for your fingers and wrists. This keyboard isn’t pleasant to type on unless you prefer extremely high resistance. Even then, you’d probably be better served by a buckling-spring switch, which spreads resistance out over the path of the entire keystroke.

The Matias Secure Pro has two USB ports. You can use one to store its USB receiver while traveling, and the other can charge a USB device (but you'll need a supplemental power supply for the keyboard, which defeats its wireless feature).

I appreciated the muted click of the Secure Pro’s keys, as that provided a bit of tactile feedback, but this isn’t the sort of keyboard I’d pick up for my own day-to-day use. Keyboard preferences are a matter of highly individual taste, of course, so your perception could be very different.

More troubling is that I found myself constantly making typos with the Secure Pro. I don’t know whether it’s because the activation point is so high or because there’s so much resistance, but I dropped letters from my words semi-constantly. The space bar was particularly temperamental.

I also encountered a few issues with the keyboard’s 200MHz polling rate. While 200MHz is fine for most low-intensity uses, I did notice a slight lag while gaming. That’s to be expected from a wireless keyboard, and it explains why most gaming keyboards are wired.

It’s hard to convey how small the Secure Pro is, even for a keyboard without a dedicated numeric keypad. The keys aren’t as cramped as those on the typical laptop, but they’re definitely closer together than a standard desktop model's. Even after a few days' acclimation, I had difficulty getting my fingers properly aligned without looking down.

The flip side is that the Secure Pro is highly portable. While a bit heavy for its size, I could easily see myself taking this keyboard on the road when I wanted the comforts of a mechanical keyboard without hauling my larger desktop models around.

Despite its small design, I was disappointed with the awkward spacing of the media-control keys. You must hold down the Fn key to operate them, and the Play/Pause key is all the way across the board on the Esc key. The spacing makes it easier to remember which media tools are where without looking, but it’s almost impossible to operate them one-handed.

Volume-control buttons share space with the up/down arrow keys, so you must hold down another key to use them. 

The Secure Pro also has USB hubs on its casing, but they’re strictly for charging—there’s no mouse or data transfer here. Matias claims the battery inside the Secure Pro will last six months to a year on a single charge, though I obviously haven’t had a chance to test that claim. Charging a second USB device requires supplemental power (negating its wireless feature). There’s a handy battery indicator LED on the Caps Lock key, but there’s  strangely no indicator LED for Caps Lock status.

Getting back to the keyboard’s 128-bit AES encryption: When was the last time you worried about someone intercepting the data traveling from your wireless keyboard to your computer?

For me, the answer is “never.” And I’m sure even a few of our more security-minded readers find the question similarly perplexing. The signals wireless keyboards use are so weak that a hacker (or cracker, if you prefer that label for cybercriminals) would need to be in the same room—or at most, the next one over—to intercept its transmissions. What’s more, Logitech, Microsoft, and other modern manufacturers build wireless keyboards with signal encryption without boasting about it.

It’s highly unlikely that your keyboard will be the failure point in your data-security plan, but I’m not going to make fun of people who genuinely worry over such things. If you’re in that camp, the Secure Pro certainly holds up its end of the bargain. Matias claims the keyboard’s 128-bit AES encryption is the highest available on a wireless keyboard and would take “a billion-billion years to crack.”

The Matias Secure Pro is a well-built, quiet, portable mechanical keyboard with a robust—if perhaps over-the-top—security feature. I didn’t find that it provided the best typing experience, but your preferences might differ. No one would argue, however, that its $170 asking price is inexpensive.

From PC World. Electronics product reviews and advice for best reference

Dell Venue 11 Pro 7139 (Security) review: Supremely powerful and super secure

What happens when you put an Intel Core i5-4300Y in an 11-inch tablet like the Dell Venue 11 Pro? It gets really, really fast. Indeed, having used the previously-reviewed Atom-based version of the Venue 11 Pro, I can attest to a rather significant jump in performance.

The “Pro” suffix indicates that this tablet runs Windows (Dell’s Venue tablets are Android devices), and the “7139 Security” tag adds a whole list of features not found in the more consumer-oriented Venue Pro. These include Intel vPro and TPM (Trusted Platform Module) support (for hardwired security and remote management), and a fingerprint scanner and smart card reader to keep the bad guys out.

Michael Homnick

The optional keyboard dock turns the Venue 11 Pro into a small Ultrabook.

In its basic form, the Venue 11 Pro is a widescreen Windows 8 tablet with some clever docking options: A small keyboard, a super-thin keyboard, and a port-laden pedestal that can transform it into a high-powered Ultrabook or an under-screened, all-in-one desktop. I say under-screened, because as large as the 10.8-inch, 1920x1080 display seems when it’s in your hand, it’s rather tiny when you have a full-sized keyboard and mouse in front of it.

You might also be interested in Laptops for work and play: the differences that matter.

The Venue 11 Pro was only doable in AIO configuration for weak-eyed me with the keyboard tucked in a tray underneath my desk. Dell’s Tablet Dock does support dual display configurations, however, and it’s equipped with both HDMI (max resolution of 1920x108) and DisplayPort (max resolution of 2560x1600).

Image: Michael Homnick

This optional dock ($140) can transform the Venue 11 Pro into a small all-in-one. Dell’s model 7130 and 7139 can drive a second display via HDMI or DisplayPort.

The 7139 (Security) model is a higher-end configuration priced at $1081. In addition to the aforementioned quad-core CPU and security features, it also comes with 4GB of DDR3/1600 memory and a SanDisk 128GB m.2 SSD. The tablet measures 0.6 inches thick and weighs in at 1.85 pounds sans keyboard. As tablets go, this one feels a bit thick, but I didn’t find it overly heavy. Then again, I tend to prop a tablet on my chest while lying down, or rest my elbows on the counter while I hold the tablet. Folks who hold the tablet without extra support might disagree.

Michael Homnick

If the fingerprint scanner doesn’t provide enough security for your needs, you can use a smart card with this Venue 11 Pro. 

The Venue 11 Pro 7139 features an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing webcam. The right side is home to the power button, reset pinhole, microSD card slot (with a pinhole release), a micro-USB 2.0 port for charging the unit, and a mini-HDMI port. The lower edge of the tablet has only the docking port and auxiliary battery connection points. On the left are a full-sized USB 3.0 port, the volume control rocker, and the headset jack. The top is occupied solely by circulation vents—a Core i5 needs to breathe.

Michael Homnick

Dell’s best tablet is on the chunky side (shown here attached to the thicker of its two optional keyboards). 

The bottom of the Venue 11 is largely given over to a pressure-fit plastic panel that pops off to reveal the 36-watt-hour battery. It also facilitates access to other components, though the only thing you can get to without further disassembly is the micro-SIM card for optional cellular broadband. The Venue 11 Pro 7139 also supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi (via an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 adapter), Bluetooth 4.0, and WiDi/Miracast (for wireless video streaming to displays that support that standard).

Michael Homnick

Worried about battery life? This is one of the few tablets that lets you swap a dead one out for a fresh one.

Our test unit came with the 1.5-pound Mobile Keyboard ($160), which also houses a supplementary 28-watt-hour battery. The significantly lighter (0.72-pound), Surface-style Slim keyboard is also available for $110, but it does not include a second battery.

The Mobile Keyboard types nicely for its size, and the keys have good bit of travel. The one-piece touchpad, however, proved idiosyncratic at registering clicks when pressed in the corners, versus the center of the click area. Swiping, cursor movement, and tapping, on the other hand, registered without a problem. Dell also shipped its $27 Active Stylus, which provides Wacom-like abilities to the unit.

The Venue 11 Pro model 7139 scored a very un-tablet-like Laptop WorldBench 9 score of 52—a full 23 points higher than the Atom Z3770-based Venue 11 Pro we tested earlier this year. It felt super-lively in my hands-on and played even high bit-rate 1080p movies like butter. In spite of its faster CPU, the model 7139 managed to run for 4 hours and 48 minutes by its lonesome, and 7 hours, 46 minutes with the Mobile Keyboard keyboard/auxiliary battery attached.

The Venue 11 Pro 7139 (Security) is the fastest Windows tablet we’ve tested.

Sadly, the Core i5-4300Y’s integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4200) don’t game. The tablet struggled to reach 15 frames per second with BioShock Infinite, even with the resolution dialed down to 1024x768 and image quality at low. Sound, on the other hand, was surprisingly good. Apparently the air spaces required to keep the i5 cool helps with bass response. The Venue 11 Pro sounds beefier than many full laptops I’ve reviewed. Yes, the games you can’t play will sound great!

Dell’s secure tablet delivered an excellent performance with our productivity app benchmark, too. 

If you’re into the Venue 11 Pro’s form factor, versatility, and accessories, but don’t care as much about—or can’t afford—this model’s performance and security features, a host of less-expensive configurations are also available. Dell’s website is confusing to navigate, but you should be able to find a model that fits your budget if you dig around. The Venue 11 Pro is warrantied for a single year by default, but you can purchase up to three years—including onsite service—for $216.

If you need a business tablet that can work all day and into the night, Dell’s Venue 11 Pro 7139 (Security) with its keyboard dock is the one to buy.

The Venue 11 Pro 7139 (Security) is a versatile business tablet/laptop/mini all-in-one that’s surprisingly usable in all three orientations—provided you can live with the heft and smallish display (as a desktop without a second monitor, that is). This high-end model proved particularly adept at movies and presentations, but it’s a highly capable, very secure Windows 8 tablet in nearly all aspects.

The package reviewed here, which includes several options including the stylus and keyboard dock with supplemental battery, costs $1081. That’s a lot of green, but its performance justifies its price tag. 

From PC World. Electronics product reviews and advice for best reference

WD My Cloud review: A better, more secure alternative to cloud storage

I love the cloud. I depend on it. The cloud allows me to access my data from any device at any time; from anywhere I have broadband access. And I can share some or all of that information with other people: A boon to productivity when I’m collaborating with someone.

I’ve become so addicted to that flexibility that I’m willing to pay a subscription fee, even though I don’t trust the service provider to keep my information entirely secure. I never put anything sensitive in the cloud, such as my tax returns or other financial data. And I never rely solely on the cloud. I always keep backup copies on storage devices that I have complete control over.

WD’s My Cloud delivers the best of both worlds. It’s a hard drive that connects to my home network, so it’s as secure as I can make it. But I can access it from the Internet—from a PC, smartphone, or tablet—just like a cloud service. And I can create user accounts with passwords to allow family, friends, and colleagues to access specific folders, so we can share information (or media) and collaborate. I can also transfer files between the My Cloud and cloud-storage services, such as Dropbox.

Robert CardinWD's My Cloud NAS box delivers all the convenience of a cloud-storage service in a device that's completely in your control.

Hmm. My Cloud sounds a lot like WD’s My Book Live product line, doesn’t it? As it turns out, the My Cloud series is replacing the My Book line, and the new desktop and mobile apps WD is launching alongside My Cloud will also work with the older drives. But there’s one My Cloud feature you won’t find on any My Book Live: a USB 3.0 port that can host a digital camera for direct file transfers. Alternatively, you can connect a stand-alone USB hard drive into this port and expand the My Cloud’s storage capacity.

As with the My Book Live, you can also back up your PC to the My Cloud over your network. And the drive supports Apple’s Time Machine technology, so you can back up Mac clients, too. And unlike some NAS manufacturers that limit the number of free client licenses you get, Western Digital will back up as many computers as you’d care to connect to it (there are practical limitations, of course, based on the amount of available storage). If you’d like, you can mirror these backups on a public cloud service.

You connect a digital camera directly to the My Cloud's USB 3.0 port, or add an additional drive to expand its storage capacity.

WD offers mobile apps for the Android and iOS operating systems, which helps solve another problem many of us face: data fragmentation caused by having stored files on multiple devices. Install the apps onto your smartphones and tablets, and you can send all your media files over the Internet to your My Cloud. I just wish my digital camera was smart enough to support an app that could do that (yes, I should buy a Wi-Fi-enabled storage card).

Installing the My Cloud is pretty much a plug-and-play affair: It even detected my double-NAT’d router and configured itself to work under those circumstances without any intervention on my part. (I’m in a double NAT situation because there’s no retail alternative to AT&T’s U-verse gateway/router combo). When the Lab benchmarked the My Cloud, it delivered very fast file-transfer performance, reading a 10GB collection of files at 29.9 MBps and writing it at 21.4MBps. It performed equally well with a single 10GB file, reading it at an impressive 79.4 MBps and writing back to the drive at 62.1MBps.

The WD My Cloud delivers excellent file-transfer performance.

Moving beyond backup services, the My Cloud has an onboard DLNA server and iTunes support, so it can stream media to various entertainment systems in your home that also support DLNA or iTunes (I’m talking about smart TVs, network-capable AV receivers, and media-streaming boxes such as the Roku or WD’s own WD TV Live). Unlike Microsoft’s discontinued Windows Home Server 2011, the My Cloud cannot stream media to a client over the Internet. WD doesn’t provide BitTorrent support, either.

The My Cloud is very reasonably priced: The 2TB model reviewed here goes for $150, and WD offers a 3TB model for $180 and a 4TB model for $250. Relying on a single-drive NAS for backup or storing critical data is a little risky, however, since you stand to lose everything if the device fails.

WD mostly solves this problem with a feature it calls “safepoints.” A safepoint is a snapshot of the drive that can be stored on another storage device on your network or on a drive attached to the My Cloud's USB port. Should the drive fail, you can recover all your data—including all your backups of your client PCs and Macs—from the safepoint on a healthy drive. And once you’ve created a safepoint, the My Cloud can be set up to automatically create new ones at specified intervals.

WD plans to offer two- and four-drive units down the road. If the drives in these models can be configured as RAID 1 (where data is automatically mirrored), it will add another layer of data security. There is, however, one shortcoming to both of these solutions: No amount of redundancy will preserve your data if both your original and your backup(s) are in the same physical location that location is devastated by fire, flood, earthquake, or some other disaster.

The My Cloud Dashboard provides a at-a-glance update of the NAS box's status.

The thing is, very few other NAS manufacturers offer a solution for this problem, either (the new Drobo Transporter 2.0 is supposed to be capable of backing up to another Transporter 2.0 via the cloud, but the company has yet to send one for review).

And considering everything that the My Cloud does do, that criticism becomes a small detail. If you need storage that’s available from just about everywhere, and you don’t want to rely on a third-party cloud service to provide it, WD’s My Cloud is a brilliant solution.

Michael manages PCWorld's hardware product reviews and contributes to TechHive's coverage of home-control systems and sound bars.
More by Michael Brown

From PC World. Electronics product reviews and advice for best reference

Lenovo Thinkpad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive Review: A High-Flying Performer

If having to pay $7+ per gigabyte for secure flash drives makes you blanch, take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive. At only $200 for 750GB—which translates to about 4GB per $1—and PIN-pad security, it's a lot more affordable than secure flash drives. Plus, the ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive is faster than the USB flash drives, most of which are USB 2.0. As a 2.5-inch hard drive it's not as portable or rugged as the flash drives , but it's where you go if you need the capacity.

Though the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive isn't FIPS 140-2 certified, it is sealed against intrusion and is in a chassis that's lightly ruggedized. It uses 256-bit AES encryption integrated into the drive controller, and is software-free; you unlock your data using a keypad on the top of the unit. A keypad is faster and more convenient than waiting for software to launch, and also makes the unit compatible with any operating system or device.

The keypad is wear-resistant so that as long as you keep it clean, thieves won't be able to detect which keys are most often used, at least not without resorting to advanced techniques. The physical dimensions of the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive makes it easier to use than a PIN-protected USB secure flash drive such as the Aegis Secure key—you can hold the unit in both hands and use your thumbs to enter the PIN, texting-style.

The Secure Hard Drive's security system provides an administrative PIN in addition to ten user PINs. Eight digits are required for all PINS. Accessing the drive is as simple as pressing the green unlock button and entering your PIN. Administrative mode, under which you can create PINs, is entered by pressing and holding the unlock button for 5 seconds. The device also has a lock button so you can secure the unit without detaching it from the computer. If the number of failed PIN-entry attempts exceeds the administrator-specified limit, the encryption keys for accessing the data are destroyed, but the hardware remains intact and usable, though sans its previous contents.

The Lenovo Secure Hard Drive proved quite a good performer. Not surprising given the USB 3.0 interface. In PCWorld's tests, the drive wrote a 10GB mix of small files and folders at 39.4MBps and read it at 64.3MBps. With a single large file, that write performance jumped to 89.2MBps and 99.7MBps. As there are no USB 3.0 secure flash drives available yet, the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive is currently the considerably faster option. The drive features a captive USB cable that you can't lose or leave behind, though Lenovo includes a USB Y-cable so you can use the drive with underpowered USB 2.0 ports.

If you don't need the tiny form factor of a USB flash drive, the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive is a much better deal. You'll need to be a bit more careful handling it, but otherwise it has only upsides.

From PC World. Shop computer and accessories from Amazon here

Lenovo Thinkpad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive Review: A High-Flying Performer

If having to pay $7+ per gigabyte for secure flash drives makes you blanch, take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive. At only $200 for 750GB—which translates to about 4GB per $1—and PIN-pad security, it's a lot more affordable than secure flash drives. Plus, the ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive is faster than the USB flash drives, most of which are USB 2.0. As a 2.5-inch hard drive it's not as portable or rugged as the flash drives , but it's where you go if you need the capacity.

Though the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive isn't FIPS 140-2 certified, it is sealed against intrusion and is in a chassis that's lightly ruggedized. It uses 256-bit AES encryption integrated into the drive controller, and is software-free; you unlock your data using a keypad on the top of the unit. A keypad is faster and more convenient than waiting for software to launch, and also makes the unit compatible with any operating system or device.

The keypad is wear-resistant so that as long as you keep it clean, thieves won't be able to detect which keys are most often used, at least not without resorting to advanced techniques. The physical dimensions of the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive makes it easier to use than a PIN-protected USB secure flash drive such as the Aegis Secure key—you can hold the unit in both hands and use your thumbs to enter the PIN, texting-style.

The Secure Hard Drive's security system provides an administrative PIN in addition to ten user PINs. Eight digits are required for all PINS. Accessing the drive is as simple as pressing the green unlock button and entering your PIN. Administrative mode, under which you can create PINs, is entered by pressing and holding the unlock button for 5 seconds. The device also has a lock button so you can secure the unit without detaching it from the computer. If the number of failed PIN-entry attempts exceeds the administrator-specified limit, the encryption keys for accessing the data are destroyed, but the hardware remains intact and usable, though sans its previous contents.

The Lenovo Secure Hard Drive proved quite a good performer. Not surprising given the USB 3.0 interface. In PCWorld's tests, the drive wrote a 10GB mix of small files and folders at 39.4MBps and read it at 64.3MBps. With a single large file, that write performance jumped to 89.2MBps and 99.7MBps. As there are no USB 3.0 secure flash drives available yet, the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive is currently the considerably faster option. The drive features a captive USB cable that you can't lose or leave behind, though Lenovo includes a USB Y-cable so you can use the drive with underpowered USB 2.0 ports.

If you don't need the tiny form factor of a USB flash drive, the Lenovo Secure Hard Drive is a much better deal. You'll need to be a bit more careful handling it, but otherwise it has only upsides.

From PC World. Shop computer and accessories from Amazon here

How to Secure Your College-Bound Child’s Laptop

College campuses, like many research institutions, by nature require more network openness than a typical home network. Hence, they’re prone to more possible attacks.

But such vulnerabilities are balanced by the many computer experts on the premises who can plug those security holes, Johnson explained.

However, before a laptop heads to college, there are steps that parents and students can take to ensure its safety.

First, parents should make sure there is anti-virus software installed on the machine, whether it’s a PC or a Mac. Often a new computer will come with a free anti-virus trial period, which can be extended for a fee. 

It’s also important to make sure that all software on the computer is updated, or has automatic updates turned on. 

“If you have [a] system updated, but an old application that’s vulnerable, you’re hosed,” said Andy Willingham, an Internet security expert and blogger in Cincinnati.

Johnson also recommends using the NoScript add-on for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser. This free solution helps block drive-by downloads and generally offers more online security.

Another big issue for college kids is to be aware of the information that is shared when they log into social-media sites, Willingham said.

“Just be really careful that you are using different passwords for different sites,” he said. 

That way, online criminals and identity thieves who’ve gotten ahold of one password can’t steal information from other sites.

Willingham also advises students not to access financial sites from public Wi-Fi networks, and to ask their schools if secured networks are available on campus.

“The last thing is to simply be vigilant,” Johnson said.

In other words, be aware of websites or emails that ask for personal information, or “phishing” ploys that try to glean financial account numbers from unsuspecting users, Johnson said.

 If you get an email from your credit-card issuer asking for information, don’t reply. Instead, call the issuer at the number printed on the back of your card.

Parents may also want to look into encrypting some or all of the data on their college kids’ laptops so that the machines will not be vulnerable to hackers or to physical thieves. The latest versions of Mac OS X, and the professional editions of Windows Vista, 7 and 8, all have full-disk encryption software built in.

In general, college-bound kids should be educated to care for their online identities and their laptops, even when checking emails or visiting social-media sites.

“It’s about being careful and understanding what the risks are,” Willingham said.

Article provided by SecurityNewsDaily, a sister site to Laptopmag.com.

From Laptopmagazine. Visit Amazon Computer and Notebook Center Here

6 Quick Ways to Secure Your MacBook

Apple releases security updates for its operating system whenever a new threat arises. Those updates usually take the form of a quick patch that requires a restart and gets you right back to your regularly scheduled web surfing in no time. But the thought of having to restart your machine while you have 37 tabs open in Safari can cause may of us to cancel the update, putting it off until a later date. Instead, you’d be far better off installing the update as soon as possible.

Apple’s updates are based on known threats to its operating system, meaning that there is already an exploit floating around the web that can be used to install malware on your computer. Putting off updates, even for a few hours, leaves you unnecessarily exposed to those threats. Want to keep your machine safe? Update your OS as soon as you are prompted to.

Unfortunately, in the case of the Flashback Trojan, Apple was a bit slow on the uptake and didn’t issue a security update to fix the problem until days after it was reported.

2. Install Anti-Virus Software

Somewhere around 15 to 25 percent of Mac users have anti-virus software installed on their system. That means roughly 75 to 85 percent of users’ systems are in danger of being infected . Big-name developers like Symantec’s Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender and Kaspersky all offer anti-virus and malware protection software for Mac systems complete with robust feature sets. If you’re looking to save some cash, we suggest checking out the free to use Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition.

Installing anti-virus software, however, is pointless if you don’t keep it up-to-date or run it regularly. That’s why we suggest that you set your anti-virus program to automatically download and install updates, as well as scan your system at a specified time each day. And if you’re worried that virus scans will impact your system’s performance, you should note that many anti-virus programs offer users the option of scheduling scans for when your system has ample resources available. Meaning scans will only start up when you’re system is doing the least amount of work. 

3. Turn on FileVault

Apple’s OS X includes a wide variety of security features that work to ensure your system and files are safe from Internet ne’er-do-wells. One of OS X’s best features is FileVault 2. The software allows users to encrypt data stored on their Mac’s hard drive with XTS-AESW 123 encryption. FileVault 2 can also be used to protect external drives. To turn on FileVault 2, open your Mac’s System Preferences page and select Security & Privacy. Click FileVault and choose Turn on FileVault. Follow the onscreen prompts and you’ll be set.

4. Activate OS X’s Firewall

Like Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s OS X features a built-in firewall meant to stop block incoming connections from unwanted sources. To switch on your Mac’s firewall, navigate to the Security & Privacy page and click on the Firewall tab then click the Turn on Firewall button. Apple also allows users to customize their firewall settings via the Firewall Options menu. From here you can choose to block all incoming connections, except those that are required for basic web services or automatically allow connections that have a signed certificate.

5.Use Password Assistant to Create Secure Passwords

Password Assistant is another valuable tool Apple has included with OS X. The software helps users create strong passwords, making it harder for less scrupulous users to steal your data. Users can even set how strong they would like their password to be based on length and quality. To access the Password Assistant, open the Users & Groups menu and choose Change Password. Click the key icon next to the new password dialogue box and the Password Assistant window will appear.

The tool makes choosing the type of password you want to use very easy by letting you pick from memorable phrases, alphanumeric, numeric, random or FIPS-181 compliant passwords. You can can also choose to extend the password to up to 31 characters in order to improve its strength.

6. Know What Software You Are Installing

A good deal of malware can be easily prevented by simply knowing what you are installing on your Mac. By default, OS X will prompt you whenever you attempt to install something on your system. That goes for both benign and malicious software.

If you haven’t specifically authorized a program to be downloaded or are otherwise unsure of its origins, don’t install it. Malware developers have a nasty habit of trying to get users to install their software by giving them innocuous sounding names. So before clicking that install button, make sure the software came from a reputable developer.

From Laptopmagazine. Visit Amazon Computer and Notebook Center Here