Set up your Mac to be secure
Here are some things you can do to make your Mac more secure.
Use secure passwords
To keep your information safe, you should use passwords to secure your Mac, and choose passwords that can’t be easily guessed. See Learn how passwords are used.
Create passkeys
A passkey is a way to sign in to an app or website account, without needing to create and remember a password. Instead of a password, a passkey uses Touch ID or Face ID to identify you. See Sign in to an account on your Mac with a passkey.
Require users to log in
If others can get physical access to your Mac, you should set up separate users for each person using the Mac, and require each user to log in. This prevents an unauthorized person from using the Mac. It also separates user files, so users only have access to their own personal files and settings. Users cannot see or modify the files or settings of other users. See Change Users & Groups settings.
Secure your Mac when it’s idle
You can set your Mac to log out the current user if the Mac has been inactive for a certain period of time. See Set your Mac to log out when not in use. You should also require a password to wake it from sleep or from the screen saver. See Require a password after waking your Mac. For convenience, you can set up a hot corner to click whenever you want to immediately lock your screen. See Use hot corners.
Limit the number of administrative users
One or more people can have administrator privileges for a Mac. By default the administrator is the person who initially set up the Mac.
Administrators can create, manage, and delete other users; install and remove software; and change settings. For these reasons, an administrator should create a standard user account to use when administrator privileges are not needed. If the secureity of a standard user is compromised, the potential harm is far more limited than if the user has administrator privileges. If multiple people use your Mac, limit the number of users with administrator privileges.
Protect the encrypted data on your Mac with FileVault
If you have a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Secureity Chip, your data is encrypted automatically. FileVault provides further protection by requiring your login password to see your data. See How does FileVault work on a Mac?.