Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” “rebuilding the directory,” “running periodic scripts,” “deleting log files,” “scanning for viruses,” or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are for solving problems as they arise, not for maintenance. Note: Java has nothing to do with Java Script, despite the similar names.ĥ. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of the Mac OS older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.īecause of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Software with a known corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash, must be acquired directly from the developer. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness - not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it - the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until recently, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. The free anti-malware application ClamXav is not crap, and although it’s not routinely needed, it may be useful in some environments, such as a mixed Mac-Windows enterprise network.Ĥ. Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. The only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for - such as creating, communicating, and playing - and does not modify the way other software works. The most extreme instance of this phenomenon is the “MacKeeper” scam. The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this kind of material is useless, or worse than useless. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis.ģ. Some third-party applications have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Software Update can be set to notify you automatically of updates to the Mac OS. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine.Ģ. Don’t back up your backups make them independent of each other. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off-site at all times.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |