Your account in OS X should be relatively secure, and provided you store your files within the structure of your account (ie, the Documents, Music, Movies, and Photos folders in your home directory), then other users on your system will not be able to access your documents. However, this security has its limits, and may break down for several reasons, especially if you transfer documents from your Mac to other systems, or to online services which you access from other systems: Continue reading
Tag Archives: Disk Image
Built-in options for encrypting data on your Mac
Data encryption is an important consideration if you keep sensitive or otherwise private documents on your Mac. While data encryption is not always necessary, such as for servers that can be physically secured in a closet, if a system can be stolen or opened so the drives can be removed, encryption is perhaps the only way to ensure your data is secure. Continue reading
About Disk Image file format options
One useful feature in OS X is support for disk images. These are container files that commonly end in the .dmg suffix, which represent virtual disks to the operating system when opened. By double-clicking these files, the system will mount them just as if you attached an external drive, and then allow you to copy files to and from them.
While most disk images you encounter will be from a developer or other third-party distributer, you can also create your own using Apple’s Disk Utility program. Continue reading