Very Important Question: How To Keep High Sierra Secure???

[Macsonic]

WOW guys, thank you for all your replies! There is so much great information that I'm still reading through everything that's been posted so I need time to address everything.

Whether you’re using an OS that no longer receives security updates or using the newest OS with secuity updates, we would always need to be vigilant on malware, phishing or ransomware intrusions. Hackers often used email messages as the frequent way to infect computers that bypasses security updates. The computer user needs to stay sharp and be alert. Our company IT Team constantly reminds us to stay sharp with incoming emails and if there are suspicious emails, to send the email to them for analysis.

One time I was exchanging emails with a customer. His second email looked strange so I sent the message to the IT dept for checking without clicking on any of the links. They responded and told me don’t reply to this customer’s email as it contained dangerous phishing links and the attached document contained a malware.

An article to check

Ransomware: These are the two most common ways hackers get inside your network

Two attack methods are the most popular - and most successful - techniques ransomware gangs are using to lay the foundations for their cyber-extortion campaigns.

www.zdnet.com

Bitdefender and Norton offers a browser extension to alert the user on sites that may be dangerous.
Traffic Light Extension

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/1729/

Norton Safe Web extension | Check website safety

Check websites’ safety before you visit them with the Norton Safe Web browser extension ► Explore now!

us.norton.com

 

[countermoon]

I would point everyone to Rob Braxman on YouTube. I've learned a lot from him.

 

[timidpimpin]

Bottom line... any computer and OS are only ever going to be as capable and secure as the user. That's an indisputable fact.

 

[countermoon]

I agree. People have different needs for security and privacy. Not everyone is a target. I'm not at all worried about not keeping up on the latest security updates. But it's hard to talk people out of fear.

No computer or mobile device will ever be secure. It's like saying there's a lock that can't be picked. Every lock can be picked. Ever watch the Lock Picking Lawyer? If you have secrets, don't write them down. If you write them down, write them on paper, not on your computer. Everything electronic is vulnerable. Paper can be vulnerable, too, but less so. I don't know if it's true anymore, people used to buy a fireproof safe for their important documents.

Based on years of reading and experience, I found these sources to be reliable: Rob Braxman and bleepingcomputer.com if you want to know what's going on. Braxman sells routers he made, de-Googled phones, and his own VPN. I haven't bought any of these things because ATT insists I use its router.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Thank you for the informative replies!

I just wanted to check if there were any other Apps that'll help keep my Mac Mini mid2011 running High Sierra secure?

I'm trying to make a list of Apps now so I can set up the Mac Mini mid2011 ASAP.

 

[countermoon]

I doubt you need anything special. If you subscribe to a VPN from Rob Braxman, that would put you way ahead of most people. I haven't because I'm not sure it will work with my router/modem, which is supplied by ATT.

Don't click on mysterious email. Don't click on mysterious email that makes you download something. Much of the malware, when it exists on the Mac, comes that way. Privacy problems are greater on the iphone and ipad than on the iMac or iMini.

I don't use any special programs. I use Firefox and Brave, and in Firefox I use the extensions Ublock Origin and Privacy Badger. I've never gotten malware on my Mac.

 

[countermoon]

According to Braxman, the two biggest scams on the internet are Norton Antivirus and Lifelock. Don't use any Norton products.

 

[sam_dean]

Unless my use case changes or I get a paying gig I do not replace my Macs until after the final macOS Security Update is released.

This tend to be nearing 520 weeks after release of the device.

For the 2011 Mac mini 32nm the last Security Update was on November 12, 2020. I'd have replaced it with a 2020 Mac mini M1 5nm that was released the week after.

If you have yet to replace your over 11yo Mac mini I encourage you to look at the $599 2022 Mac mini M2 5nm released last week.



It will be like night and day.

It should be good until year 2032 where in sub-1nm Macs will be available.

 

[phillytim]

I don't use any special programs. I use Firefox and Brave, and in Firefox I use the extensions Ublock Origin and Privacy Badger. I've never gotten malware on my Mac.

Same! 👏👏👏👏👏💯

 

[mattspace]

If you have yet to replace your over 11yo Mac mini I encourage you to look at the $599 2022 Mac mini M2 5nm released last week.

I want to connect 3 Displayport displays to my Mac.

The Intel Mini, plug in an eGPU with the appropriate graphics card (but still lose out on ram capacity vs my current mac).

M2 Pro mini, you only get 2 displays maximum on Thunderbolt, and you have to use HDMI for the third, so the AS Mini isn't a replacement for a 14 year old mac.

 

[vasim]

Unless my use case changes or I get a paying gig I do not replace my Macs until after the final macOS Security Update is released.

This tend to be nearing 520 weeks after release of the device.

For the 2011 Mac mini 32nm the last Security Update was on November 12, 2020. I'd have replaced it with a 2020 Mac mini M1 5nm that was released the week after.

If you have yet to replace your over 11yo Mac mini I encourage you to look at the $599 2022 Mac mini M2 5nm released last week.



It will be like night and day.

It should be good until year 2032 where in sub-1nm Macs will be available.

I do the same but replace the Mac after the Major update (e.x I replaced my MacBook Air 2015 with a MBP M2 after the first got out of software updates support by releasing MacOS Ventura).

 

[sam_dean]

I do the same but replace the Mac after the Major update (e.x I replaced my MacBook Air 2015 with a MBP M2 after the first got out of software updates support by releasing MacOS Ventura).

That's every 7 years for after final Software Update.

Security Update is typically another 3 years