Spot-On Security Tips for Mac OS X Leopard

Mac OS X is generally unappealing to malicious hackers. But since its popularity is bound to attract notice from the bad guys, the new version of Apple's operating system sports several security features that users and IT departments should know about.

By Lisa Hoover
Fri, December 14, 2007

Page 3

Close, But No Cigar

Although Leopard has clearly taken steps to make OS X a more secure operating system, Whitehouse says it still has a ways to go. "It's clear that the new security technologies Apple has introduced into Leopard are first generation. There are many areas they could improve; these include but are not limited to: ASLR implementation, which currently provides little, if any, protection over not having any at all; firewall, which is currently only inbound; and [a better] use of SeatBelt to further minimize the impact of arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities."

Apple declined to comment on future plans for its security technologies, however the company has issued a 14-page technology brief [PDF] detailing features users can take right now to protect their systems.

Selby says that the security threats continue to evolve and change, so the best defense is a good offense. It all comes down to detailed access management information. "If Bob in Sales suddenly looks like he's logging in from another country and accessing human resources files, you need to know if it's really him or if your system is being exploited. At the end of the day, regardless of what platform and OS your company is using, always make sure you know who's on the network and what they're doing," says Selby.

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