Linked Resources for Mac Users
http://edu-observatory.org/mac/
Apple https://www.apple.com https://www.apple.com/contact/ https://www.apple.com/privacy/ https://www.apple.com/recycling/ https://www.apple.com/retail/jordancreek/ https://www.apple.com/sitemap/ https://www.apple.com/support/ https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/ https://www.apple.com/today/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222 https://support.apple.com/manuals https://card.apple.com My Apple Products https://mysupport.apple.com/products AirDrop https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204144 AirPrint https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201311 AirPrint is an Apple technology that helps you create full-quality printed output without the need to download or install drivers on AirPrint compatible printers. Anti-Malware, Monitoring, and Privacy Your Mac is secure - but your actions are not secure. Apple does a good job to protect us from malware. However we still get tricked into installing malware on our Macs. And I am finding malware on way too many Macs. Just because you see the promise to "Clean Your Mac" or "Make Your Mac Faster", what you are looking at is click bate to get you to install malware. Remember Krebs's first rule--If you didn't go looking for it, don't install it! So far Malwarebytes has been sufficient to check and remove malware. Scan with Malwarebytes every week. Patrick Wardle's security tools are proactive serving to protect, monitor and alert. However, some understanding of how your computer works is required. Mac Security. Built right in https://www.apple.com/macos/security/ FAQ: Do You Really Need Antivirus Software for Your Apple Devices? https://www.idropnews.com/news/faq-do-you-really-need-antivirus-software-for-your-apple-devices/106419/ Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ CleanMyMac X https://macpaw.com Patrick Wardle -- Objective-see Security Tools https://objective-see.com Privacy When Using the Internet http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Privacy/index.html AppCleaner http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ http://osxdaily.com/2014/07/31/manual-complete-app-removal-mac-os-x-terminal/ AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps. Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using space of your Hard Drive unnecessarily. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them. App Compatibility Table http://roaringapps.com/apps Apple Downloads http://support.apple.com/downloads/ Apple ID Support http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/ https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202667 Apple ID -- If you forgot your Apple ID password https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487 Just One Apple ID and Password -- on all your Apple Products Apple Manuals https://support.apple.com/manuals https://support.apple.com/manuals/iphone https://support.apple.com/manuals/macdesktops https://support.apple.com/manuals/macnotebooks https://www.apple.com/macos/what-is/ https://training.apple.com/content/dam/appletraining/us/en/2018/documents/macOS_Support_Essentials_10.13_Exam_Preparation_Guide.pdf macos_support_essentials_10_15_exam_preparation_guide.pdf https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mactracker/id430255202?mt=12 Apple News http://edu-observatory.org/media/News_Apple/index.html Apple Recruiting Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A7HVt3xgTn4 Apple Recycling Program http://www.apple.com/recycling/ Apple Refurbished (Certified) http://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac http://buy.gazelle.com/buy/used/catalog/macbooks AppleScript http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/AppleScriptLanguageGuide.pdf https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/applescript/conceptual/applescriptx/Concepts/work_with_as.html http://www.google.com/search?q=applescript+tutorial http://www.macinstruct.com/search/node/applescript Apple Security Mac Security. Built right in https://www.apple.com/macos/security/ Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ Patrick Wardle -- Objective-see Security Tools https://www.objective-see.com Eclectic Light Company Downloads https://eclecticlight.co/downloads/ Apple does a good job protecting us from malware. However we still get tricked into installing malware on our Macs. So far Malwarebytes has been sufficient to check for and remove malware. Patrick Wardle's security tools are proactive and require a little more knowledge than the average user has, but they do serve to protect, monitor, and alert. Apple Security http://www.apple.com/support/security/ http://www.apple.com/business/docs/iOS_Security_Guide.pdf Apple Support https://www.apple.com/retail/jordancreek/ http://www.apple.com/support/ http://www.apple.com/contact/ https://www.apple.com/support/sitemap/ http://kbase.info.apple.com/ https://support.apple.com/kb/index?q=knowledge+base&src=globalnav_support&type=organic&page=search&locale=en_US#query=knowledge%20base&product=&doctype=¤tPage=1&includeArchived=false Apple Support Communities https://discussions.apple.com Apple Training and Certification http://training.apple.com http://training.apple.com/learn Apple User Groups https://www.apple.com/usergroups/ People who use Apple technologies have joined together in user groups all around the world. Hundreds of groups offer members the chance to become friends with other Apple product users, get questions answered and have a lot of fun. Groups are for everyone from first-time computer users to experts-from every profession, background and age. Want technology to do more for you? Join the club. Find a user group near you. Applications (third party) Compatibility http://roaringapps.com/apps:table Audacity for Mac http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/mac Backup Options (locally) https://www.macobserver.com/columns-opinions/devils-advocate/the-cloud-is-a-lie/ Article: The Cloud Is a Lie - John Kheit https://www.sandisk.com/home/ssd/extreme-portable-ssd https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-500GB-Extreme-Portable-External/dp/B078SWJ3CF/ https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-500GB-Extreme-Portable-External/dp/B07S1PCSV5/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250 (Time Machine) Backup Option (in the cloud) https://www.dropbox.com https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html https://www.carbonite.com Backup to external SSDs, via command line if -e /Volumes/SSD1 rsync -av `pwd`/ `pwd | sed s."/Users/swormley"."/Volumes/SSD1".` if -e /Volumes/SSD2 rsync -av `pwd`/ `pwd | sed s."/Users/swormley"."/Volumes/SSD2".` if -e /Volumes/SSD3 rsync --delete -av `pwd`/ `pwd | sed s."/Users/swormley"."/Volumes/SSD3".` The "a" flag in -av signifies archive mode, a shortcut for a handful of other settings. You almost always want to use the "a" flag. The "v" flag in -av signifies verbose mode, outputting a summary of the files as they are copied. The --delete flag tells rsync to delete any files at the destination that are not currently at the source. Battery Life and Lifespan https://www.apple.com/batteries/maximizing-performance/ Boot Options - Startup key combinations for Intel-based Macs https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904
CleanMyMac X https://macpaw.com Created by MacPaw, CleanMyMac X aims to replace dozens of optimization tools for Mac. A macOS cleaner, performance monitor, and malware remover! Cleaning Up an Infected Mac 1. Download, Install to Applications, Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ Scan and Remove malware. 2. Download, Install to Applications, KnockKnock https://objective-see.com/products.html To run the application and begin a scan, simply double click on KnockKnock.app and press the 'Start Scan' button. KnockKnock will scan known locations where persistent software or malware may be installed. By design, it simply lists persistently installed software. Although signed-Apple binaries are filtered out, legitimate 3rd-party software will likely be displayed. The left-hand table contains the categories of persistent software that KnockKnock scans. Each row contains the name and brief description of the category, and the number of detected items. Clicking on any of the categories will display the items for that category in the right-hand items' table. 3. Download and install to Applications, AppCleaner http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ http://osxdaily.com/2014/07/31/manual-complete-app-removal-mac-os-x-terminal/ When you want to remove Third Party Applications, use AppCleaner.app to get rid of all the hidden files too. 4. Download, Install to Applications, CleanMyMac X https://macpaw.com Created by MacPaw, CleanMyMac X aims to replace dozens of optimization tools for Mac. Command Line Commands & Resources https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/OpenSource/Conceptual/ShellScripting/CommandLInePrimer/CommandLine.html https://support.apple.com/kb/PH15465 http://ss64.com/osx/ http://www.commandlinefu.com Command Line Tools -- Install http://osxdaily.com/2014/02/12/install-command-line-tools-mac-os-x/ xcode-select --install Computer Security (including Macs, iPhones and iPads) http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/index.html Diagnostics (Hardware) on Mac https://www.wikihow.com/Run-Diagnostics-on-Mac DNS - Public DNS service operators https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_recursive_name_server#List_of_public_DNS_service_operators https://1.1.1.1 https://www.dnsperf.com/#!dns-resolvers A public Domain Name Server (DNS) is a name server that may be used in place of, or in addition to, name servers provided by your local Internet Service Provider (ISP). Public name servers offer reliability, security, speed and privacy. Several services now support secure DNS lookup transport services such as DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS. Dropbox (making you life easier) https://www.dropbox.com/downloading Dropbox is a file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, and client software. Dropbox allows users to create a special folder on each of their computers, which Dropbox then synchronizes so that it appears to be the same folder (with the same contents) regardless of which computer is used to view it. Files placed in this folder also are accessible through a website and mobile phone applications. Exchange and Repair Extension Programs https://www.apple.com/support/exchange_repair/ Fax Documents (online) http://faxzero.com/ Finding Files http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Mac_Computers/FindingFiles.html Forgot Apple ID Password https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201355 Forgot macOS Computer Password https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/reset-your-mac-login-password-mh35902/mac https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202860 Boot (Command-R) > Utilities > Terminal, type: resetpassword Forgot passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod-touch https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306 GIMP (Open Source similar to PhotoShop) http://gimp.org http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/ Home Computer Security http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/index.html IP http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/ip.html Java (Disable) http://www.macworld.com/article/2028900/how-to-disable-java-on-your-mac.html Keyboard and Character Viewer (turn on in System Preferences) Keyboard and Character Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts Full Screen Mode Toggle .................... Control-Command-F There are many keyboard shortcuts such as: Copy ...................... Command-C Paste ..................... Command-V Refresh Page .............. Command-R Refresh Page and Cache .... Command-Shift-R Lookup highlighted word ... Control-Command-D Print ..................... Command-P New Window ................ Command-N Minimize Window ........... Command-M Close a Window ............ Command-W Quit an Application ....... Command-Q Force Quit Menu ........... Command-Option-Esc Force Quit an Application . Command-Option-Shift-Esc Delete File (Skip Trash)... Command-Option-Delete Screen Capture ............ Command-Shift-3 Screen Capture (part) ..... Command-Shift-4 Toggle Zoom ............... Option-Command-8 Invert Colors ............. Control-Option-Command-8 Application Preferences ... Command-Comma (,) Select All ................ Command-A KnockKnock https://objective-see.com/products.html To run the application and begin a scan, simply double click on KnockKnock.app and press the 'Start Scan' button. KnockKnock will scan known locations where persistent software or malware may be installed. By design, it simply lists persistently installed software. Although signed-Apple binaries are filtered out, legitimate 3rd-party software will likely be displayed. The left-handle table contains the categories of persistent software that KnockKnock scans. Each row contains the name and brief description of the category, and the number of detected items. Clicking on any of the categories will display the items for that category in the right-hand items' table. Knowledge Base http://kbase.info.apple.com/ https://support.apple.com/kb/index?q=knowledge+base&src=globalnav_support&type=organic&page=search&locale=en_US#query=knowledge%20base&product=&doctype=¤tPage=1&includeArchived=false Learning iPads, iPhones (iOS Devices) http://edu-observatory.org/olli/iPad/index.html Learning Mac Computers (macOS) http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Mac_Computers/index.html LibreOffice (alternative Open-source Office Suite) http://www.libreoffice.org/ LibreOffice http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/documentation/ Little Snitch (Outbound Firewall) http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html LuLu (Outbound Firewall) -- Patrick Wardle https://objective-see.com/products.html LuLu is the free, shared-source firewall for macOS. It's goal is simple; block any unknown outgoing connections, until approved by the user. While it was designed to generically detect malware by flagging unauthorized networking connections, LuLu can also be used to block OS components or 3rd-party applications from transmitting information to remote servers. Mac Ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=0eEG5LVXdKo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_a_Mac Mac doesn't turn on https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204267 Mac Maintenance http://www.macissues.com/2014/07/14/the-only-required-maintenance-for-your-mac/#more-1458http://www.macissues.com/2014/07/14/the-only-required-maintenance-for-your-mac/#more-1458 http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/04/mac-maintenance-tips/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172 Mac support https://support.apple.com/mac MacTracker https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mactracker/id430255202?mt=12 Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ Scan and Remove any malware. Manuals https://support.apple.com/manuals https://support.apple.com/manuals/iphone https://support.apple.com/manuals/macdesktops https://support.apple.com/manuals/macnotebooks https://www.apple.com/macos/high-sierra/ https://www.apple.com/macos/mojave/ https://www.apple.com/macos/what-is/ https://training.apple.com/content/dam/appletraining/us/en/2018/documents/macOS_Support_Essentials_10.13_Exam_Preparation_Guide.pdf macOS_Support_Essentials_10.13_Exam_Preparation_Guide.pdf https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mactracker/id430255202?mt=12 Microsoft Office https://products.office.com/en-us/compare-all-microsoft-office-products?&activetab=tab:primaryr1 NeoOffice (alternative Open-source Office Suite) http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php http://www.fatmac.co.uk/downloads/downloads/tutorials/NeoOffice%20Tutorial.pdf http://userguide.neooffice.org/NeoOffice_User_Guide_Volume_2.pdf Network - Security News http://edu-observatory.org/media/Security_Media/index.html Network - Tools http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/tools.html Office (Microsoft) https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products-for-mac Objective-see Security Tools -- Patrick Wardle https://objective-see.com OpenOffice (alternative Open-source Office Suite) http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice http://www.openoffice.org/support/ OverSight https://objective-see.com/products.html One of the most insidious actions of malware, is abusing the audio and video capabilities of an infected host to record an unknowing user. Macs, of course, are not immune; malware such as OSX/FruitFly, OSX/Crisis, OSX/Mokes, and others, all attempt to spy on Mac users. OverSight constantly monitors a system, alerting a user whenever the internal microphone is activated, or the built-in webcam is accessed. And yes, while the webcam's LED will turn on whenever a session is initially started, new research has shown that malware can surreptitious piggyback into such existing sessions (FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, etc.) and record both audio and video - without fear of detection. As with any security tool, direct or proactive attempts to specifically bypass OverSight's protections will likely succeed. Moreover, the current version over OverSight utilizes user-mode APIs in order to monitor for audio and video events. Thus any malware that has a kernel-mode or rootkit component may be able to access the webcam and mic in an undetected manner. Panopticlick from the EFF https://panopticlick.eff.org Browser Fingerprinting https://pixelprivacy.com/resources/browser-fingerprinting/ Parallels (virtualization software - multiple operating systems, if you must) http://www.parallels.com/en/ Password (Forgotten) - How to Reset https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202860 Boot (Command-R) > Utilites > Terminal and type resetpassword https://www.macobserver.com/tips/quick-tip/recover-admin-mac/ Patrick Wardle -- Objective-see Security Tools https://objective-see.com Ports - TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202944 Privacy When Using the Internet http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Privacy/index.html https://www.apple.com/privacy/manage-your-privacy/ https://www.imore.com/how-manage-privacy-and-security-settings-safari-mac Ramjet (Mac Memory) http://www.ramjet.com/ http://ramjet.com/imacflat.asp Recycle http://www.apple.com/recycling/ Re-Install macOS/OS X with Internet Recovery on a Mac http://osxdaily.com/2014/12/14/reinstall-os-x-mac-internet-recovery/ Remote screen sharing using Messages on Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/screen-sharing-icht11883/mac Removing Malware - Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac Free https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ Repairs http://www.ifixit.com/ Reset Launch Pad - From Terminal type: defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true; killall Dock Reset (Forgotten) Apple ID Password https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201355 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487 Reset (Forgotten) macOS Computer Password https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/reset-your-mac-login-password-mh35902/mac https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202860 Boot (Command-R) > Utilities > Terminal, type: resetpassword Reset (Forgotten) passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod-touch https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306 Reset NVRAM and PRAM https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT2040639 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379 http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/mac-startup-modifiers-what-they-do-and-how-you-use-them Reset SMC on Macs https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295 http://osxdaily.com/2019/01/14/how-reset-smc-macbook-air-pro-2018-later/ Safari Locked Up by Infected Website? 1. Quit Safari (or Force Quit Safari) 2. Restart Safari Holding the Shift Key 3. Clear History and Website Data... Share screens using Messages on Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/screen-sharing-icht11883/mac When you're having a conversation with someone in Messages, you can share your screen with them, or they can share theirs with you. It's a great way to work together on a project or help a friend solve an issue on their computer. Search Engine Privacy - DuckDuckGo does not track you DuckDuckGo does not track you https://DuckDuckGo.com Use Google without being tracked https://www.startpage.com Security Mac Security. Built right in https://www.apple.com/macos/security/ Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.org/mac-download/ Patrick Wardle -- Objective-see Security Tools https://www.objective-see.com/products.html Apple does a good job to protect us from malware. However we still get tricked into installing malware on our Macs. So far Malwarebytes has been sufficient to check and remove malware. Patrick Wardle's security tools are proactive and require more knowledge than the average user, but they do serve to protect, monitor and alert. Security Media & Podcasts http://edu-observatory.org/media/Security_Media/index.html SECURITY SETTINGS - FINDER PREFERENCES Finder Preferences > General
Finder Preferences > Advance
SECURITY SETTINGS - SAFARI PREFERENCES Safari Preferences > General
Safari Preferences > Search
Safari Preferences > Security
Safari Preferences > Privacy
Safari Preferences > Extensions (Privacy) from App Store
Similarly iPhone/iPad > Settings > Safari > Content Blockers
Adblock Plus (works on all computers and mobile devices) https://adblockplus.org/ Block ads that interrupt your browsing experience. Say goodbye to video ads, pop-ups, flashing banners and more. Blocking these annoyances means pages load faster. With Adblock Plus avoiding tracking and malware is easy. Blocking intrusive ads reduces the risk of "malvertising" infections. Blocking tracking stops companies following your online activity. BETTER BLOCKER (Safari on Macs, iPhone, iPad, and iPod-Touch) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/better-blocker/id1080964978 Blocks all the tracking things. Better is a privacy tool for Safari that protects you from trackers and privacy-eroding ads on the web. Make your web experience safer, lighter, and faster in Safari on iPhone and iPad. Testing Privacy EFF -- Is your browser safe against tracking? https://panopticlick.eff.org Browser Fingerprinting https://pixelprivacy.com/resources/browser-fingerprinting/ Web Browser Cookie Forensics https://www.grc.com/cookies/forensics.htm
Safari Preferences > Advanced
SECURITY SETTINGS - SYSTEM PREFERENCES System Preferences > Software Updates
System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall > Firewall: On
System Preferences > General > Allow Handoff
System Preferences > Network > Advanced > DNS:
SilentKnight -- automatic security checks https://eclecticlight.co/lockrattler-systhist/ Software (third party) Compatibility http://roaringapps.com/apps Speeding up your Mac https://www.macissues.com/2016/03/31/four-easy-steps-to-a-faster-mac/ http://www.macissues.com/2014/06/26/how-to-speed-up-your-old-mac/ http://www.macworld.com/article/1156418/speedier_mac.html http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how-to-determine-if-your-mac-is-stressed-out https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3521 (advanced) Startup key combinations for Intel-based Macs http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/mac-startup-modifiers-what-they-do-and-how-you-use-them http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255
