Built In Mac Security Tools

 You just have to enable them.

Just like Windows, there are several versions of Mac OS X. The two most recent – Leopard and Snow Leopard. Most people will have one of these. New Macs come with Snow Leopard.

 Macs have a built-in firewall, but it's turned off by default. You need to activate it.

In Leopard, click the Apple logo at the top of the screen. Select System Preferences. Click on Security, and select the Firewall tab.

Most people will be fine selecting "Allow only essential services." This will block nearly all incoming connections. That keeps hackers from finding your computer with a random search.

You'll still get system updates from Apple. This is a good balance between security and functionality.

However, the firewall may block some applications you want to use. When you open these programs, you'll be prompted to allow incoming connections. If you allow a connection once, the firewall will allow it in the future.

Snow Leopard has a much simpler interface. Click the Apple logo at the top of the screen. Select System Preferences. Click on Security and select the Firewall tab.

Click the lock at the bottom of the window. You'll be asked to enter your log-in information. Then click the Start button to enable the firewall.

You'll get a notification when the firewall blocks a program. Then you can decide whether or not to allow the program. You can manually add programs by clicking Advance,then the plus button.