4 Ways to Protect Your Computer From Being Hacked

 

1. Create a Firmware Password

When you enable a firmware password, the user must enter it before performing tasks like booting from a disk, resetting PRAM, and most importantly, entering single-user mode. Single-user mode is vital for many of our tutorials, like our article on how to create a new administrator account. If a firmware password is enabled, the hacker simply cannot use that tutorial.

Of course, there are ways around a firmware password (as detailed in this article), but that can easily be prevented by not allowing physical access, which we’ll talk about later.

If you want to learn how to set up a firmware password, you can take a look at this article by Apple.

2. Turn off Remote Login

Whenever somebody tries to SSH into your computer, they need remote login to be enabled. If you disable it, they won’t be able to remotely access your computer. I only turn remote login on when I need it for a specific purpose for a short period of time.

To turn off remote login, go to the Sharing tab in System Preferences and uncheck Remote Login if there is a check mark next to it.

3. Choose a Secure Password

This is obvious, but we can’t overstate the importance of having a secure password. Everything you do should have a unique password containing numbers, letters, and symbols. By doing this, you effectively prevent brute force attacks from succeeding. If somebody tries to decrypt your password when it is that secure, it will take so long that you will have a good chance of catching them in the act!

I just have to say it one more time: choose a secure password. It’s amazing how many people ignore this advice!

Check out this tool to help you get an idea for how secure your password is.

4. Don’t Give Others Physical Access

If a hacker is literally sitting in front of your computer, there’s really nothing you can do to stop them from doing what they want. With physical access, there’s a way around everything. However, if you follow the 3 other tips in this article and don’t let them anywhere near your computer, they can’t hack it. Try to keep your computer as secure and isolated as possible, and you won’t have any hacking problems!

Conclusion

Hackers can be very devious (especially if they’ve read the articles on this site!). If you follow the four simple rules in this article, you’ll be safe from them, whether they’re going after your personal information or simply pranking you. Good luck!