These two critical Mac security features are off by default - how to turn them on and why you should

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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A Firewall should be considered a necessity.

Macs typically ship with Firewall disabled.

Macs also have Stealth Mode for even more security.

Because I've used Linux for so long, it was easy to take security for granted. But even with that more secure operating system, there are things I do to heighten protection.

When I started using MacOS for things like video editing, I did the same thing and assumed it was safe from would-be intruders. And then I eventually came to the conclusion that if a computer is connected to a network, it's vulnerable, regardless of the OS.

Also: 6 MacOS settings I immediately change on every new Mac - and why

Upon arriving at that conclusion, I realized I needed to get serious about security on MacOS. That led me to two things: Firewall and Stealth Mode.

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