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2 bulletproof steps to hack-proof your Mac

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2 bulletproof steps to hack-proof your Mac

In today’s digital landscape, where cyberthreats lurk around every corner, safeguarding your personal data and maintaining privacy have become paramount. 

Your Mac houses a wealth of sensitive information, making it a prime target for malicious actors. 

Securing your device with a robust password and leveraging the convenience of biometric authentication like Touch ID is no longer an option but a necessity. Here are steps to fortify your Mac’s defenses, ensuring your computer remains impregnable against prying eyes and unauthorized access.

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A woman typing on her Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to add a password to your Mac

  • In the top left corner of your Mac, click on the Apple logo

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then, go to System Settings

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Click on Users & Groups in the sidebar

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then click the Info button next to your username on the right
  • Click Change

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Next, enter your current password in the “Old Password” field

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Enter your New Password in the “New Password” field

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • If you need help choosing a secure password, click the key button next to “New Password”

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Enter a hint to help you remember it

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Enter the new password again in the “Verify” field

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then click Change Password

Steps to add a password to your Mac (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO REMOVE MALWARE ON A MAC 2024 

How to set up your Touch ID (if available)

On some Macs, you can also use biometric data to unlock your device with Touch ID. Here’s how to set it up:

  • In the top left corner, click on the Apple logo

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then click System Settings

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Scroll down and click on Touch ID & Password from the sidebar

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then input your password when prompted

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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  • Follow the on-screen directions, repeatedly resting and lifting your finger on the Touch ID sensor. The location of the Touch ID sensor may vary depending on your Mac model; it’s typically found in the top right corner of the keyboard or near the keyboard on newer models.

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to set up your Touch ID (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE DATA FROM THE INTERNET 

Use strong and unique passwords 

Create strong passwords for your accounts and devices, and avoid using the same password for multiple online accounts. Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords. It will help you to create unique and difficult-to-crack passwords that a hacker could never guess.

Second, it also keeps track of all your passwords in one place and fills passwords in for you when you’re logging into an account so that you never have to remember them yourself. The fewer passwords you remember, the less likely you will be to reuse them for your accounts.

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What qualities should I look for in a password manager?

When it comes to choosing the best password manager for you, here are some of my top tips.

  • Deploys secure
  • Works seamlessly across all of your devices
  • Creates unique complicated passwords that are different for every account
  • Automatically populates login and password fields for apps and sites you revisit
  • Has a browser extension for all browsers you use to automatically insert passwords for you
  • Allows a fail-safe in case the primary password is ever lost or forgotten
  • Checks that your existing passwords remain safe and alerts you if ever compromised
  • Uses two-factor authentication security

Get more details about my best expert-reviewed password managers of 2024 here.

Kurt’s key takeaways 

Keeping your operating system and software up to date is also crucial for protecting against the latest security threats. By implementing a strong password and enabling Touch ID (if available), you’ll significantly enhance the security of your Mac and safeguard your personal data from unauthorized access.

What are your biggest concerns when it comes to protecting your digital footprint and personal data online? Have you encountered any particularly egregious violations of privacy or fallen victim to cyberthreats? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter

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Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter

Apple says the iPhone had its “best-ever” quarter, with revenue hitting more than $85.3 billion over the past few months. The company announced the news as part of its Q1 2026 earnings report, which also revealed record-breaking revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent when compared to the same time last year.

“iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment, and Services also achieved an all-time revenue record, up 14 percent from a year ago,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in the press release.

Apple’s services revenue, which includes subscriptions like Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple TV surged 14 percent year over year, while Mac and wearable revenue were down.

In the coming months, Apple will bring promised AI-powered personalization features to Siri. Apple is partnering with Google to power this upgrade, which will use a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI model.

The company is also acquiring an AI startup, called Q.ai, for $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. Though there aren’t any details on how Apple plans to use the startup’s technology, the Financial Times reports that Q.ai’s patents “show its technology being used in headphones or glasses, using ‘facial skin micro movements’ to communicate without talking.”

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Humanoid robot makes architectural history by designing a building

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Humanoid robot makes architectural history by designing a building

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

What happens when artificial intelligence (AI) moves from painting portraits to designing homes? That question is no longer theoretical. 

At the Utzon Center in Denmark, Ai-Da Robot, the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist, has made history as the first humanoid robot to design a building.

The project, called Ai-Da: Space Pod, is a modular housing concept created for future bases on the Moon and Mars. CyberGuy has covered Ai-Da before, when her work focused on drawing, painting and performance art. That earlier coverage showed how a robot could create original artwork in real time and why it sparked global debate.

Now, the shift is clear. Ai-Da is moving beyond art and into physical spaces designed for humans and robots to live in.

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3D-PRINTED HOUSING PROJECT FOR STUDENT APARTMENTS TAKES SHAPE

Ai-Da Robot is the humanoid artist that made architectural history by becoming the first robot to design a building. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Inside the ‘I’m not a robot’ exhibition

The exhibition “I’m not a robot” has just opened at Utzon Center and runs through October. It explores the creative capacity of machines at a time when robots are increasingly able to think and create for themselves. Visitors can experience Ai-Da’s drawings, paintings and architectural concepts. Throughout the exhibition period, visitors can also follow Ai-Da’s creative process through sketches, paintings and a video interview.

ELON MUSK TEASES A FUTURE RUN BY ROBOTS

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How Ai-Da creates art and architecture

Ai-Da is not a digital avatar or animation. She has camera eyes, specially developed AI algorithms and a robotic arm that allows her to draw and paint in real time. Developed in Oxford and built in Cornwall in 2019, Ai-Da works across disciplines. She is a painter, sculptor, poet, performer and now an architectural designer whose work is meant to provoke reflection.

“Ai-Da presents a concept for a shared residential area called Ai-Da: Space Pod, a foreshadowing of a future where AI becomes an integrated part of architecture,” explains Aidan Meller, creator of Ai-Da and Director of Ai-Da Robot. “With intelligent systems, a building will be able to sense and respond to its occupants, adjusting light, temperature and digital interfaces according to needs and moods.”

A building designed for humans and robots

The Space Pod is intentionally modular. Each unit can connect to others through corridors, creating a shared residential environment.

Through a series of paintings, she envisions a home and studio for humans or robots alike. According to the Ai-Da Robot team, these designs could evolve into fully realized architectural models through 3D renderings and construction. They could also adapt to planned Moon or Mars base camps.

Aidan Meller presents Ai-Da robot, the first AI-powered robot artist during the UN Global Summit on AI for Good, where they are giving the keynote speech, on July 7, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images for Aidan Meller)

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While the concept targets future bases on the Moon and Mars, the design can also be built as a prototype on Earth. That detail matters as space agencies prepare for longer missions beyond our planet.

“With our first crewed Moon landing in 50 years coming in 2027, Ai-Da: Space Pod is a simple unit connected to other Pods via corridors,” Meller said. “Ai-Da is a humanoid designing homes. This raises questions about where architecture may go when powerful AI systems gain greater agency.” The timing also aligns with renewed lunar exploration tied to NASA missions.

AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION ROBOT CHARLOTTE CAN 3D PRINT 2,150-SQ-FT HOME IN ONE DAY USING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Why this exhibition is meant to challenge you

According to Meller, the exhibition is meant to feel uncomfortable at times. “Technology is developing at an extraordinary pace in these years, he said, pointing to emotional recognition through biometric data, CRISPR gene editing and brain computer interfaces. Each carries promise and ethical risk. He references Brave New World and warnings from Yuval Harari about how powerful technologies may be used. 

In that context, Ai-Da becomes a mirror of our time. “Ai-Da is confrontational. The very fact that she exists is confrontational,” said Line Nørskov Davenport, Director of Exhibitions at Utzon Center. “She is an AI shaker, a conversation starter.”

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Aidan Meller, British Gallery owner and specialist in modern and contemporary art, stands beside the AI robot artist “Ai-Da” at the Great Pyramids of Giza, where she exhibits her sculpture during an international art show, on the outskirt of Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 23, 2021.  (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

What this means for you

This story goes beyond robots and space travel. Ai-Da’s Space Pod shows how quickly AI is moving from a creative tool to a decision-maker. Architecture, housing and shared spaces shape daily life. When AI enters those fields, questions about control, ethics and accountability become unavoidable. If a robot can design homes for the Moon, it may soon influence how buildings function here on Earth.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

A humanoid robot designing a building once sounded impossible. Today, Ai-Da’s work sits inside a major cultural institution and sparks real debate. She offers no easy answers. Instead, she pushes us to think more critically about creativity, technology and responsibility. As the line between human and machine continues to blur, those questions matter more than ever.

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If AI can design the homes of our future, how much creative control should humans be willing to give up? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Halide co-founder Sebastiaan de With is joining Apple’s design team

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Halide co-founder Sebastiaan de With is joining Apple’s design team

I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of Lux and Halide. Today we launched the public preview of Halide Mark III, and the reception is more positive than we possibly could have hoped.

As we mentioned in the announcement post today, we’ve been working with legendary team at The Iconfactory on Mark III. We’re also super excited to be collaborating with the renowned colorist Cullen Kelly on the new looks in Mark III.

Ten years ago I started Halide, and for ten years, I lead product, ran the business, and coded almost everything. Except for the paywall. I hate working on payment screens. But I built everything else, and design was always a collaborative experience.

So in short, Halide is going nowhere. This has been my full time job since 2019, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

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