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Secure Your Mac: What's new in Leopard security?

Mac users everywhere are salivating over the approaching release of Leopard (this humble blogger counts himself amongst that number). We all know about the flashy new additions to the OS that Leopard will bring, but what about security?

Apple has a whole section detailing the new security features in Leopard on their huge list of 300+ features to be found in the new OS. The highlights from the security list are:

  • Tagging downloaded Apps: This feature seems to be what Microsoft was trying to do with Vista. The first time you launch a downloaded app Leopard will ask you if you really want to run this app and display from whence this app came (so if you see it was downloaded for a wacky URL you can cancel launching it).
  • Application specific firewall: You can set the firewall to allow or refuse connections per app.
  • Library Randomization: Places system libraries in randomly assigned memory addresses.

Interesting there are a few other security enhancements scattered about some other areas of Leopard:

  • Custom access privileges for shared folders: Leopard lets you share folders, which you can do now, but also makes it easy to assign differing levels of access per shared folder. You can also use your contacts in Address Book to control access.
  • Airport Menu: The Airport Menu now tells you if the WiFi networks you're connecting to is secured. The more you know, kids, the more you know.
  • Activity Logging: This feature is both a little creepy, and secure! The best kind, if you ask me. Part of the new set of Parental Controls, though I assume you can use this to track folks other than kids, Activity Logging will log what websites a user visits, who chats with them, what apps are used, and saves a transcript of any chats.
  • Guest Log-In Accounts: Right at this moment you can create a guest account with limited permissions, so any of your friends can use your Mac without having unfettered access to your documents. Leopard has a built in feature that allows you to create Guest Accounts which purge their contents when your guest logs out. The Desktop won't be cluttered with files, Mail won't have someone else's setting waiting, and people won't come to think of the Guest Account as 'their account.'

Did I miss anything? Sound off in the comments.



Mac users everywhere are salivating over the approaching release of Leopard (this humble blogger counts himself amongst that number). We...
 

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Kevin Ginger

will 'Custom access privileges for shared folders' make sharing an iPhoto Library amongst different User accounts easier?

October 18 2007 at 11:01 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gscotti

Anyone knows more details about accessing remote shares through the Internet? Will it work on both endpoints behind NAT?

October 18 2007 at 8:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris

Wow, they finally made the jump and added padlocks in the Airport menu. This has seemed obvious/been annoying for how long?

October 17 2007 at 8:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jumbo Bob

I'm excited they support WPA at the login prompt. We have 168 macbooks that can't be logged into by students because macbooks don't connect to the wireless network until AFTER login. Internet Connect says it can export your 802.1x configuration to the login, but it doesn't. We've had to use our older Windows Laptops because they've supported this for years.

October 17 2007 at 8:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Luigi193

Your firewall can block outgoing communications???

No need for little snitch!!! The new interface sucks.

October 17 2007 at 6:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bizzle

How about something they removed:

The ability to lock your screen from the menubar. Lame.

October 17 2007 at 5:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Bizzle's comment
Jeffrey Erlich

Just set one of the mouse corners to start the screen-saver (and of course, turn on the option to lock the screen-saver).
It really isn't hard.

December 11 2007 at 6:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ernie.

So now we have to go through like 3 confirmations before we launch an app?.. and then everytime an app needs access we'll be alerted?.. isn't that kinda annoying.. and Vista like?..

October 17 2007 at 5:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Orbberius

Looks like Cupertino's been using their photocopiers.

October 17 2007 at 5:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
magu

SMB packet signing, anyone?
Finally my days of using ADmitMac are over (hopefully).

October 17 2007 at 5:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jusitn

Don't forget app sandboxing. :)

October 17 2007 at 5:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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