Essential Security Software for Mac OS X Users
There’s a plethora of Mac OS X security software available but some have proven to be quite exceptional and essential for anyone interested in computer security. Here is a list of tools you all should have in your Applications folder.
Net Tool Box (Download)
Net Tool Box is a multi-purpose network utility for Mac OS X. It integrates over 20 powerful networking utilities into one easy-to-use program. The intuitive design and hardcore features of Net Tool Box ease the workload for thousands of networking professionals, developers, administrators and educators every day. Another powerful feature of Net Tool Box is its built-in port database, containing over 2,500 port numbers and their registered use. This database is integrated into relevant tools to allow quick searching for a port or its use. What used to take several minutes of searching the Internet, can now happen in an instant.
Little Snitch (Download)
You start an application that tells you that a new version is available. You suddenly realize that with every start this application connects to the developer’s server. Even statistics information about your computer may be sent this way. Little Snitch helps you avoid this situation. Trojan horses can be detected and prevented on the transmission of data. On a more general basis, network connections to certain servers can be denied.
Web Confidential (Download)
Where do you keep your confidential data? Like most people these days, you’ve probably got a growing number of user IDs, passwords, registration keys, PIN codes, serial numbers, and the like, stored in various places on your computer or scribbled on miscellaneous pieces of paper around your home or office. When you stop and think about it, you probably have more of these pesky bits of information scattered about than you realize. Web Confidential gives you access to your passwords from within your browser and from the Mac OS X Dock. When you need access to a user ID and password, a handy floating utility window shows all the information you might need about your password.
Fugu (Download)
Fugu is a graphical frontend to the commandline Secure File Transfer application (SFTP). SFTP is similar to FTP, but unlike FTP, the entire session is encrypted, meaning no passwords are sent in cleartext form, and is thus much less vulnerable to third-party interception. Fugu allows you to take advantage of SFTP’s security without having to sacrifice the ease of use found in a GUI. Fugu also includes support for SCP file transfers, and the ability to create secure tunnels via SSH.
FrameSeer (Download)
FrameSeer is a Cocoa application which lets you capture and decode data-communications traffic as it passes across your network. FrameSeer uses the services of a standard Unix utility called tcpdump, which is installed by the Mac OS X installer as part of the BSD subsystem. FrameSeer provides a graphical user interface to the facilities offered by tcpdump. FrameSeer can capture traffic on your Ethernet, AirPort, PPPoE (eg aDSL or cable-modem), PPP (eg dial-up modem) and loopback interfaces.
Pastor (Download)
As an alternative to Web Confidential, a freeware application to store sensitive data is Pastor. This is a tool to store all your passwords, website logins, program serial numbers, etc. RC4-encrypted and password-protected with a built-in password generator.