SECURITY FOR MACBOOK PRO HOW TO
SECURITY FOR MACBOOK PRO FOR ANDROID
SECURITY FOR MACBOOK PRO PRO

This is such an ongoing problem (even with Lightning cables) that Apple has a page dedicated to explaining how to identify counterfeit chargers. Such chargers can cause shocks or even fires. Many of the fake brand name or inexpensive aftermarket chargers are unsafe as well. Last year, I wrote about how USB chargers are available that not only charge devices, but spy on you. That's where the trouble begins.Īs far back as 2013, CBS News reported on fake Apple chargers (in this case, for iPhones).

SECURITY FOR MACBOOK PRO PRO

But now, you're expected to plug your USB-C adapter into a MacBook Pro on one side, and into a possibly random USB charger on the other. Even then, there were aftermarket providers. That was all well and good back when MacBooks required Apple-made chargers. It's not unusual to borrow cables, dongles, and chargers when we're caught with our batteries down. At this point, though, I'm willing to bet that most of us have a bin of dongles, adapters, and cables of uncertain origins. I kind of like to use the adapters and dongles that come with the products I buy.

While Apple has moved all its notebooks to USB C-based charging, many Windows-based laptops can still be air-gapped while charging. While this type of standardization does have its benefits, if the EU extends its USB-C demands to notebook computers, those computers that still charge with external, dedicated charging connectors might be forced to use a data-capable connector for charging. Read also: Why the EU might force Apple to swap its Lightning connecter for USB The EU is considering mandating a switch to USB-C as the standard connector for all phones.

In Europe, though, USB-C could be a real problem.

SECURITY FOR MACBOOK PRO FOR ANDROID

Of course, at least for Android devices, there are still serious malware threats that can enter the device via text, email, browsing, and p0wn3d apps, but at least one path of least resistance can be closed up. To charge any iPhone via cable, you've always had to plug in a data-capable connector, whether it was the old 30-pin dock connector or the Lightning connector.įor other smartphones, the problem is similar, although most phones used micro USB connectors, and now, most use USB-C connectors.įrom a security point of view, wireless charging, like that on the newer iPhones and Galaxy S9, can be a substantially safer way to go, because you're able to charge the devices without ever plugging in a data-capable cable. To be fair, this has long been a problem with iPhones (until the iPhone 8 and X who allow wireless charging). You have no choice.įor Apple, a company whose enhanced security has been one of its main selling points for years, this is a short-sighted, potentially brand-damaging, and dangerous decision. In order to charge the machine, you must connect to a port capable of transferring data. Prior to the USB C-only MacBook Pros, at least charging the device wasn't a possible hacking vector.īut with the MacBook from 2015 on, and for the MacBook Pros from 2016 on, the only way you can charge the notebook is by connecting to a USB-C port. MacBooks before 2015 and MacBook Pros before 2016 could charge without any risk, as long as everything else was off, empty, or disconnected.Īlso: Air-gapping the planet: How to travel safely in digitally scary places I'm air-gapped from the rest of the world. As long as I have networking off and nothing plugged into any of my ports, I'm safe. With my 2015 MacBook equipped with a MagSafe port, if I want to charge the machine, I just plug it in. Likewise, all of the 12-inch MacBooks introduced since 2015 are inherently unsafe. Because of the USB-C ports, all MacBook Pros introduced since late 2016 are inherently unsafe.

Then, last night, as I plugged my current MacBook Pro into its snuggly MagSafe 2 power connector, I thought, 'I'm going to miss the convenience of this.' And then it came to me. But for weeks, I haven't been able to identify what was causing the tickle on the back of my neck. Something that can be trouble for any modern MacBook Pro user. I make active use of the USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports, as well as the SD card slot on my 2015 i5-based MacBook Pro.īut it's not any of those concerns. And yes, there's always the discussion of the butterfly keyboard.Įven if every other precaution has been taken, the mere necessity of keeping the devices charged up puts machines at risk. Yes, there have been discussions about performance throttling based on how hot the machine gets. One of Han Solo's trademark lines was 'I've got a bad feeling about this.' Ever since I started thinking about getting the 2018 i9-based, 32GB MacBook Pro, I've been having a bad feeling, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Security for macbook pro