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Is The A Firewall Program In Use For Mac

While keeping the firewall on is probably a good idea for the less tech-savvy, there may come a time where they have to turn it on and off. Here's a simple guide to help them do it on their own.

R-Firewall has all the features you'd expect to find in a firewall program but the interface isn't very easy to use. Also, there aren't any inline instructions that help explain what a change in settings will do when applied. The main purpose of the firewall is to prevent or limit access to your computer from other computers and the Internet. In some cases, your Mac firewall will conflict with the firewalls in third-party hardware you may use, requiring you to disable the Mac firewall completely or to modify its settings. It does struggle to identify Windows malware, which means it is possible to accidentally send a virus through email or shared links to family and friends that don’t use Mac machines. Intego firewall protection is compatible with iPhone and iPad. I’ve just purchased my first Mac after being on Windows for about 15 years, so I’m looking around for reputable recommendations of free and good anti-virus/firewall programs.

A firewall is a layer of security that designates what traffic is and isn't allowed to enter your computer on a network. Generally, they let good traffic through, while keeping hackers, malware, and other unsavory traffic out.

Most routers have firewalls built-in, so if you're using a router (which most people do), you already have a good amount of protection from outside shenanigans. You also have a firewall on your computer, usually built in to Windows or Mac OS X. This one isn't as important to keep on, and there are some situations where you might need to turn it off: perhaps you've installed antivirus software that has its own firewall, or maybe you're running a program that isn't working correctly because it's conflicting with the firewall. If, for any reason, you need to turn it off, it's rather simple to do.

On Windows:

Click on the Start menu and type windows firewall in the search box. Pick the 'Windows FIrewall' option that pops up in the search results. If you're on Windows XP, hit the Run option and type in firewall.cpl.

In the left sidebar, click 'Turn Windows Firewall On or Off'.

Under 'Home or Work Network Location Settings', click 'Turn Off Windows Firewall'. If you want to turn it back on, just click the 'Turn on Windows Firewall' button above it.
Unless you have another firewall as part of your anti-virus software, leave the Windows Firewall on for public networks. You'll need it as extra protection when you're on an insecure Wi-Fi network, like at a coffee shop, since you don't know who else is connected.

On a Mac:

Open up System Preferences, which is the icon in your dock with the gears (usually near the far right).
Click on 'Security', which is in the top line of icons.
Go to the Firewall tab.
Click the small padlock icon in the bottom left-hand corner. Enter your password when prompted.

Hit the Stop button to turn the firewall off. If you want to turn it back on later, you can come right back to the same place and hit the Start button.

You'll want to make sure you come back and turn the firewall on whenever you're on a Wi-Fi network that isn't in your home. So, whenever you go to a coffee shop, the airport, the library, or anywhere else and connect to the internet, you'll want to make sure the firewall is on. Only turn it off when you're at home, on your password-protected Wi-Fi network.

It's as simple as that! Remember, you want to keep the firewall on whenever you leave the house, and unless it's causing you problems, you're probably better off keeping it on while at home too.

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Your Mac has built-in anti-malware (or antivirus) functionality. It works an awful lot like antivirus software on Windows, examining applications you run and ensuring they don’t match a list of known-bad applications.

Unlike Windows Defender, which is included in Windows 8 and Windows 10 and has a visible interface, a Mac’s built-in antivirus functionality is much more hidden.

Is There A Firewall Program In Use For Mac

How XProtect Works

The built-in anti-malware protection on Mac OS X is known as “XProtect,” which is technically a feature built into “File Quarantine.” This feature was added back in 2009 with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

When you open an application downloaded from the Internet using a “File Quarantine-aware” application like Safari, Chrome, Mail, or iChat, you’ll see a warning message informing you the application was downloaded from the web along with the specific website it was downloaded from and when.

It’s a bit like the “This application was downloaded from the Internet!” warning dialogs you’ll see after downloading and trying to run an application on Windows.

Back in 2009, Apple made File Quarantine also check downloaded application files against a list stored in the System/Library/Core Services/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist file on your Mac. You can even open this file and see the list of malicious applications Mac OS X is checking for when you open downloaded application files.

When you open a downloaded application, File Quarantine checks if it matches any of the malware definitions in the XProtect file. If it does, you’ll see a nastier warning message that says running the file will damage your computer and informing you which malware definition it matches.

Getting Definition Updates

Malware definition updates arrive through Apple’s normal software update process. Like other software updates on Mac OS X, these are enabled by default, but can be disabled.

To view this setting, click the Apple menu, select System Preferences, and click the App Store icon. Ensure the “Install system data files and security updates” option is enabled. If you disable it, your Mac won’t update its XProtect file with the latest definitions from Apple.

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So, How Useful Is It?

RELATED:Mac OS X Isn’t Safe Anymore: The Crapware / Malware Epidemic Has Begun

XProtect is useful, but not perfect. It’s a fairly rudimentary antivirus. It only checks downloaded files run through File Quarantine, which makes it similar to the SmartScreen feature on Windows. It’s designed to sit between your Mac and the web, preventing you from running a few known-malicious applications. That’s it.

Unlike other antivirus applications, XProtect doesn’t use any sort of advanced heuristics. It’s just looking for a handful of bad files Apple has specifically listed. This allows Apple to put the brakes on any bit of Mac malware before it gets too out of control and ensures your Mac is protected from downloading any old pieces of malware out there.

RELATED:How to Open Apps from “Unidentified Developers” on Your Mac

XProtect is just a convenient way for Apple to blacklist individual pieces of malware. But it doesn’t take care of cleaning up any existing infections and doesn’t check to make sure your Mac is clean in the background. The list of malware is also very limited, with the XProtect file containing 49 definitions at the moment. Apple has added some adware to the XProtect list, but adware is mostly not blocked. Unfortunately, bundled adware is becoming as bad on Mac OS X as it is on Windows.

Other technologies do help keep your Mac safe. In particular, Gatekeeper’s default setting prevents applications from running on your Mac unless they’re from the Mac App Store or signed by approved developers.

Is There A Firewall Program In Use For Mac