How To Prevent Malware on Lion & Snow Leopard Macs

The myth that Macs are immune to viruses was put to rest once and for all by Flashback, a malware program that infected hundreds of thousands of Macs. As a result of that attack, Apple was forced to respond with a removal tool. Don't wait for the next big Mac breach--there are five simple things you can do now to keep your Mac safe from infection. Here they are.

Use a non-admin account: Step 2

Ensure the new account is set to Standard, and fill out the rest of the form. If you click on the button with the key icon, you can use a password helper tool to generate a difficult password. When choosing a password hint remember that others, including laptop thieves, can see your hint. I recommend not using hints and just keeping a hard-copy list of your passwords in a safe place. If you must use hints, pick something that other people won't be able to guess. A good hint is "What's the name of my first pet?" A bad hint is "Where was I born?"

Make sure this password is different from your administrator account's password.