Foreword Located deep in the bowels of a subterranean man-cave in Southern California, the LarryTalksTech computers patiently await daily instructions from their users. Though there is a sprinkling of Debian Linux powered computers, the main work-horses here are Macs. As our capital expenditure budget is next to “0”, so open-source software answers most of… Continue reading 21 Free Must-Have Mac OS X Apps
Category: OS X Security
Murus: OS X IceFloor Alternative
What Is Murus? For some time now, IceFloor is the graphic user interface I have used to set up the PF firewalls on both of my Macs (Learn more about IceFloor by clicking HERE). Now that OS X Yosemite has arrived, IceFloor can still be used, but the current version is feature delimited. Though IceFloor… Continue reading Murus: OS X IceFloor Alternative
Social Networks and Social Engineered Cyber Crimes
Currently, one of the fastest growing cyber crimes on the internet is the harvesting of bits and pieces of user information placed on social networks, and using that information against the user by way of identity theft. These types of cyber crimes refer to the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information… Continue reading Social Networks and Social Engineered Cyber Crimes
Cybersecurity 101 – NOVA Labs | PBS.org
Here is a very well done 3 minute 38 second video that explains Cybersecurity on the internet. The video is from NOVA Labs | PBS.org. At NOVA’s website, in their Cybersecurity Lab, you can play a game where you are one of the people, protecting a company that is the target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.… Continue reading Cybersecurity 101 – NOVA Labs | PBS.org
IceFloor: Harden Your Mac OS X Firewall
Once upon a time, I believed that computers behind the router/firewall on a home network were pretty safe from hacking. Yes, I knew that I could download nasty bits of software from the Internet, but as far as being hacked by access from “my” network, it just wasn’t likely. I didn’t use software firewalls on… Continue reading IceFloor: Harden Your Mac OS X Firewall
Port Forwarding and Small Network Security
Port forwarding is found in both business enterprise and small-business computer networks. As home computer networks are becoming both more common and complex, port forwarding can be found here as well. While enterprise level networks use highly advanced routers and hardware firewalls for protection, the processes of secure shells, tunneling, and port forwarding can function with a… Continue reading Port Forwarding and Small Network Security
Take Your Mac OS X Security to NSA Standards
While doing research for another article, I came across NSA’s security setup for Mac OS X. No, the information gained was not from a clandestine hack, or some form of Wiki-Leaks. All the data you see here is readily available from the public version of NSA’s website, and will boost OS X Security on a… Continue reading Take Your Mac OS X Security to NSA Standards
Use “Folder Actions” In OS X For Malware Detection
Blogger Jacob Salmela came up with a really simple way to help you detect an installation of malware in OS X by using some built-in resources ( Folder Actions) of the operating system itself. To drive their malware, bad guys attempt to get a LaunchDaemon or LaunchAgent installed in one or more of the following… Continue reading Use “Folder Actions” In OS X For Malware Detection
VirusTotal Uploader for OS X Released by Google
As OS X gains in popularity with Users, OS X is also gaining popularity with evil-doers. The days of operating your Mac without considering and using security measures are well over. To that end, programs like VirusTotal Uploader have been developed to help your Mac stay safe. Downloading programs from the Internet, to me has always… Continue reading VirusTotal Uploader for OS X Released by Google
Onyx: A Swiss Army Knife for OS X Maintenance
In the beginning… Having once had my computer hacked, I have become very paranoid about the security of my machines and the network on which they run. One security process I carry out daily when I am done using my computers is a very simple one: I turn off the computers. It is indeed very hard to… Continue reading Onyx: A Swiss Army Knife for OS X Maintenance