macOS-Security-and-Privacy-Guide

This is a community-written guide for improving the security and privacy of a Mac running macOS, particularly on Apple silicon hardware. It walks through a wide range of practical steps — from basic settings that anyone can change to more advanced configurations for power users who want enterprise-level protection.

The guide covers topics including disk encryption with FileVault, setting up a firewall, configuring DNS to block trackers and use encrypted DNS, securing your web browser, using Tor and VPNs, protecting against malware, managing passwords, securing SSH connections, and setting up system monitoring to detect unusual activity. It starts with the concept of "threat modeling" — figuring out what you specifically need to protect and who you are protecting it from — so you can prioritize which steps matter most for your situation.

You would use this guide if you are a Mac user who wants to meaningfully improve their security and privacy beyond the default settings. It is aimed at power users and people with some technical comfort, but many sections are straightforward enough for motivated beginners.

The guide itself is a text document (no code to run), updated by the community over time. It recommends Apple silicon Macs as the minimum hardware baseline due to security vulnerabilities in older Intel-based models.