NSA Security Guide for Mac OS X

An anonymous reader writes "The National Security Agency has just released a Security Configuration Guide for Apple Mac OS X (pdf). The guide mostly contains common sense configuration information that applies to many Unix systems. It also includes specific discussion for Apple's unique features such as Keychain and FileVault. It should be useful to most Mac OS X users and will be particularly useful for US Government organisations that use Mac OS X and for commercial IT Departments that are supporting Mac OS X. A range of other NSA Security Configuration guides for other operating systems, applications, and IT kit are also available."

Comments

Jurrasic Park on OS X

[AKAImBatman]

Lex: "It's a UNIX system! I know this!"

New Government-Oriented Commercial?

[American AC in Paris]

(voiceover)

Step 45,328:

There is no step 45,328. There is no step 45,328...*soft weeping sounds*

Lack of safety in numbers

[YetAnotherName]

Given how entrenched Micro$oft's clutches are into the US Government, a security guide for Windows based systems would be even more useful.

(I work for NASA; almost everyone in our group has Mac OS X on our desktops and Linux in the server room. Our supervisor is the only Windows user. Yes, he's developing pointy hair.)

Re:Lack of safety in numbers

[lachlan76]

Had you not brought down the NSA website, you would find them here.

Re:Lack of safety in numbers

[Andr0s]

A security guide for Windows-based systems ?

Talk about an exercise in futility. I'd put that book right next to Understanding Republican Mindset, Philosophical Debates of Military Intelligence and Filanthropy of Modern Man

Re:Lack of safety in numbers

[general_re]

Filanthropy of Modern Man

I'll put it alongside my copy of Speling Fer Slahsdooters.

Re:Lack of safety in numbers

[Andr0s]

Eh... not all of us in the world are native english speakers. Still, I trust my english spelling & grammar beats your croatian, eh?

You Bastards!

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm the pdf is downloading at .6 k/s and dropping. Slashdotting the NSA - this qualifies for some sort of Darwin award, doesn't it? :)

Re:You Bastards!

[datadriven]

... Or maybe it's a violation of the patriot act.

Re:You Bastards!

[JamesTRexx]

Always ready to help with foreign support. *clicks furiously on the links from his place in The Netherlands*

In other news...

[eventDriven]

The U.S. Governement's ultra-secret monitoring system 'echelon' was briefly unavailable after the NSA's web servers were Slashdotted.

NSA Security Guide

[Anonymous Coward]

Always leave an NSA auto-secure port (9999) open on your machine.

Disregard any unexplained background executables.

Always use IE when surfing.

Confine all discussing of terrorist/anti-government actions to public networks (or private ones, we don't really care)

Slashdotted already?

[BandwidthHog]

Alright, we've slashdotted the NSA!!!!!

Now we can safely do, umm, whatever it is that we thought we couldn't do safely while the NSA had an active internet connection. Psst, any terrorists out there need a browser with 128-bit SSL enabled?

Re:Slashdotted already?

[zrail]

Thats because it was a SECRET warrant issued by a SECRET court. The only reason he knows is because his tinfoil hat somehow intercepted the FBI's radio communications.

Re:Screwed up

[rdc_uk]

We cannot comment on the report, because we cannot read the report; because we have /.'ed the server.

Oh bitter, bitter irony!

Re:Screwed up

[baywulf]

Lex: "It's a UNIX system! I know how to tokening this!"
Yacc: "It's a UNIX system! I know how to parse this!"

NSA Guide to securing Windows computers

[Roadkills-R-Us]

Step 1: Pack Windows system in appropriate shipping container
Step 2:Mark container "Target"
Step 3: Have courier deliver container to nearest FBI shooting range

Re:NSA Guide to securing Windows computers

[patman600]

Sure, just add even more holes to the system...

And in other News.....

[mbrewthx]

The infamous CowboyNeal was arrested today at his private hovel. The Department of Homelnd Security issued a statement saying that he was the head of a secret conspiracy to disrupt the online functions of the NSA. There was no comment from CowboyNeal or his attorney a Mr. Taco. But he is said to enjoying Steak Tar Tar with his prison mate Martha Stewart. Mr. Neal's activities apparently caused serious lag in the NSA's end of the month CS tournament.

Re:And in other News.....

[Ohreally_factor]

So how did Cowboy Neal wind up in a women's prison?

Wait! Don't answer that!

Re:Slashdotted already? Nope.

[Roadkills-R-Us]

They didn't /. us^H^Hthe NSA.

They /.'d the NSA OS X hacker honeypot. Traffic recording and analysis is proceeding just fine, thank you. As are the webcams. I hope your co-workers don't use that keyboard-- don't you have a handkerchief?

Re:Screwed up

[Otter]

You're telling me there are no Mac users (besides myself) that can see The Mysterious Future(TM)?

How I am supposed to afford a Mac and a Slashdot subscription?

(Just kidding...please don't start posting Dell comparisons..I know already.)

They're... still... up

[twalls]

Several people have already called the slashdotting. They're still alive and kicking! Gotta give em credit for trying. "Mr. President, we're giving her all we can! She just doesn't have enough bandwidth!" "Well, why not just use one of the other Internets?"

Re:FU SLASHDOT

[berbo]

I agree grandparent is childish, but I also agree the moderators smoke crack.

Not all of us - some of us prefer Guatemalan insanity peppers.

Here's a summary

[DevolvingSpud]

To secure your Macintosh, please download the NSA_KEY file and place it in your system directory.

(For those who missed this way back when, here's a good summary: http://cryptome.org/nsakey-ms-dc.htm

Re:File Vault

[cosmic_0x526179]

Lets just rename it Vile Fault...

(with appol to the Mouseketeer, who in 1984 coined the name VileFision... what happened to him anyway ?)