If Casual Snoopers Are a Bigger Threat to Your Mac's Data Than Corporate Spies, Try These Common-sense Techniques Before Investing in Expensive Security Software.
Gregory Wasson
TOTS TAPPING AND coworkers snooping can alter your Mac faster than Godzilla can wreck downtown Tokyo, leaving trashed documents, a discombobulated desktop, and orphaned files in their wake. The knee-jerk reaction is to call out an army of security software, but before you do, consider the alternatives: some simple techniques that can help keep those desktop- and data-destroying disasters to a minimum. These techniques will help you guard against pilfering intruders and your own mistakes as well.
Back up your backup. Backing up is like flossing your teeth. It may seem like a nuisance at the time, but it will eventually pay off -- for instance, the next time someone accidentally trashes one of your important files. Make doing frequent backups an ingrained habit. Take advantage of the automatic-backup features found in some programs, such as FrameMaker and WordPerfect. To be on the ultrasafe side, make backups of your backups.
Inoculate your Mac. If you don't have complete control over the floppies people insert into your Mac or the files that come across the Internet, your Mac may be in danger of a viral attack. Install and keep updated a dependable antivirus utility, such as Virex, from Datawatch, or Symantec AntiVirus for the Macintosh (S.A.M.). Disinfectant is an excellent freeware alternative that is available from online services (see end of article for online-access information).
Divide and conquer. By creating custom folders for the people who use your Mac, you can discourage them from rummaging through all your folders. Place aliases to the programs a person uses in a folder, and teach the user how to save documents to only that folder. A higher-tech way to achieve the same goal is to use an application launcher such as Square One, from Binary Software (800-824-6279 or 310-449-1481), or DragStrip, from Natural Intelligence (800-999-4649 or 617-876-7680). Launchers let you create customized palettes for giving friends, family members, or coworkers easy access to a selection of specific programs.
Control your panels. A few careless clicks in your control panels can send your Mac time-traveling, reset mouse behavior, or change your desktop appearance so that it no longer feels like your own. You can easily prevent such sabotage by removing relevant control panels from the System Folder. You can place them in another folder hidden a few levels down or put them on a floppy disk and completely remove them from your hard disk. Likely candidates for removal are the Date & Time, Mouse, Color, General Controls, and Desktop Patterns control panels.
Another way to make control panels inaccessible is to disable them. You can do this with Apple's Extension Manager or any other startup manager.
Use the system's padlock. Don't overlook the obvious. The Mac operating system provides an easy way to lock files so they can't be altered or trashed -- just click on the Locked check box in the Get Info window of any file you want to protect. It's a little inconvenient, since you have to unlock it to make changes yourself, but it could be a real lifesaver, er, file-saver.
Make a decoy. Accidentally deleting a file is a common mishap. It happens often because trashing a file is so easy on the Mac -- especially if you've turned off the alert option in the Trash's Get Info window. To make accidental deletions less likely, leave the alert on or try this: Create a new folder, and call it something descriptive such as Pre-Trash. Drag it to the desktop near the Trash, and open the folder. Make it as small as possible and drag the open folder window over the Trash. Now when you drag a file to the Trash, it remains in the Pre-Trash folder until you drag the folder's contents to the real Trash. Moving the folder off the Trash when you need to throw something away may be a little inconvenient, but you'll have fewer Trash blunders.
Employ a disguise. Icons are eye candy for adults and kids alike. There's nothing as satisfying to a fun-loving youngster or a new user as double-clicking on colorful icons -- unless it's seeing Daddy or Mommy in tears because that important budget spreadsheet has been reduced to meaningless ciphers. You can make the contents of any folder less tempting to casual users of your Mac simply by changing the folder's view option to By Name on the View menu.
If you must keep files, folders, and applications on the desktop, where you don't have the option of viewing by name, use aliases rather than the actual icons of files. Also, keep important stuff in folders a level or two down on your hard disk so they're harder to reach.
Protect with passwords. To keep others from deliberately reading those incriminating love letters or confidential financial worksheets, you may want to use programs that have simple password protection. Several popular programs, such as Excel and WordPerfect, keep Nosey Parkers out. Most hard-disk-partitioning software lets you password-protect any volume and any file in it in one easy step. Screen savers such as After Dark generally include at least one module that requires a password before it returns you to the desktop. If you opt for password protection, regardless of the product, make the password random, ideally a combination of words and numbers. Using your own name, that of a pet or a child, or a blank password isn't a good idea. Also, long passwords are better than short ones.
Last-resort security. Still feeling ill at ease? Then you may be a candidate for security software. Before you buy, keep in mind one warning: Most security software is to some degree incompatible with data-compression software, such as Symantec's Norton DiskDoubler, or disk-optimization utilities, such as Speed Disk (part of Symantec's Norton Utilities). You often have to disable the security software when you install new system and application software or when you use hard-disk utilities. Forget and you can kiss your data goodbye.
With that warning in mind, if you use your Mac in a home office, stick with something simple such as Apple's At Ease. It prevents access to the Finder (no more trashed files) and can be used to limit access to control panels and applications.
Users of stand-alone Macs in an office environment will be better served by using more-traditional volume-access and encryption software, such as Symantec's Norton DiskLock.
Don't go overboard. For most individual security needs, the maximum protection necessary is a low-end security-software program. Few people really need the most pick-proof, high-end security software.
Even low-end security software may be overkill. The do-it-yourself techniques described here won't deter determined hackers, but they can be an inexpensive and effective shield against your resident Godzillas.
Contributing Editor Gregory Wasson is continuously en garde, protecting his data against four mean-looking cats, an adventuresome spouse, and sinister electrical surges.
You can find the shareware and freeware programs referenced in this article in the MacUser and ZD Net/Mac areas on CompuServe and eWorld. See How to Reach Us for instructions on accessing ZD Net/Mac.
Hardware Security / Foiling Thieves and Power Problems
THEFT AND POWER ANOMOLIES can do as much damage to your data as any family member or hacker. To fight these attackers, you sometimes need special hardware. Here are some products we recommend:
The Comp U Lock One Plus No Drill, from Versa Lock (800-248-5625 or 818-886-8962), for about $55, is a clever device designed to prevent theft of your computer (and attached hardware peripherals, if you like). It's a set of plates -- you attach one to your computer and the other to a surface such as a desk and then lock the two plates together. You can remove them from your equipment and furniture by applying heat. In earthquake-prone areas, it can help prevent damage to your devices by keeping them from dancing across the desk or crashing to the floor.
The Disk Drive Lock, from Secure-It (800-451-7592 or 413-525-7039), for about $25, secures your floppy-disk drive with a locked insert. It thwarts those who might put a floppy disk into your Mac to copy and carry away your private files.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), such as the Back-UPS Pro (starting at around $200), from American Power Conversion (800-800-4272 or 401-789-5735), is a must in areas where the electricity is spotty. These wonderful devices give you 10 to 15 minutes of dependable power when the lights go out -- enough time to safely close documents and shut down your Mac properly.
If your problem is too much power rather than too little, what you need is a good surge protector. The surge protectors from Panamax (800-472-5555 or 415-499-3900) are noteworthy, because they carry a lifetime warranty that covers repair or replacement of any equipment that's damaged by a power surge when connected to one of the company's protectors. The protectors range in price from around $60 to $130.
Exploit the password protection built into programs such as Excel.
Backing up remains one of the best ways to prevent loss of data.
Inexpensive antivirus programs are essential if you exchange files with anyone -- friend or foe.
Create personal folders or program launchers for each person who uses your Mac, to limit access.
Remove or hide control panels whose settings you don't want others to change.
An obvious but underused technique: Lock files in their Get Info boxes so no one can accidentally change or trash them.
Place an open folder over the Trash to prevent accidental deletions.
Make files unenticing -- view them by name rather than by icon.
