How to Use the Firewall in Mac OS Mojave

Posted on 16th June 2023

Enabling the Firewall

To turn on the firewall in Mac OS Mojave, open the System Preferences application and click on the Security & Privacy icon. Next, click on the Firewall tab and then click the Turn On Firewall button.

Configuring the Firewall

Once the firewall is enabled, you can further configure it by clicking on the Firewall Options button. This will bring up a sheet with a number of options that can be enabled or disabled.

• Block all incoming connections – This will block all incoming connections, including those from applications that are signed with a developer ID.
• Enable stealth mode – This will make it more difficult for someone to determine that your computer is even running a firewall.
• Block ICMP – This will block all ICMP traffic, which can be used for network diagnosis.

Allowing Applications Through the Firewall

By default, the firewall will allow all applications that are signed with a developer ID to receive incoming connections. If you want to be more restrictive, you can click on the Firewall Options button and then select the Block all incoming connections option. This will block all incoming connections, even from applications that are signed with a developer ID.

If you want to allow specific applications to receive incoming connections, you can click on the + button at the bottom of the Firewall Options sheet. This will bring up a Finder window that you can use to locate the applications that you want to allow through the firewall.

Conclusion

The firewall in Mac OS Mojave is a powerful tool that can be used to protect your computer from malicious activity. By enabling the firewall and configuring it to your needs, you can help keep your computer safe from harm.

When you upgrade to MacOS Mojave, the Firewall settings are turned on by default. If you want to keep your Mac secure, it’s a good idea to leave the Firewall turned on. However, there are times when you may need to turn off the Firewall, such as when you’re troubleshooting a network issue or running a program that requires access to your Mac’s network ports.

Here’s how to turn the Firewall on or off in MacOS Mojave:

Open System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy.

Click the Firewall tab.

To turn the Firewall on, click the Turn On Firewall button.

To turn the Firewall off, click the Turn Off Firewall button.

If you want to allow specific apps to receive incoming connections, click the Firewall Options button.

In the Firewall Options dialog, click the Add button.

Select the app that you want to allow incoming connections for and click the Add button.

Repeat this process for each app that you want to allow incoming connections for.

When you’re finished, click the OK button.

If you want to allow signed software to receive incoming connections, select the “Allow only signed software to receive incoming connections” checkbox.

When you’re finished, close the Security & Privacy preference pane.

The Firewall is a important part of keeping your Mac secure. By default, the Firewall is turned on and it’s a good idea to leave it on. However, there are times when you may need to turn off the Firewall, such as when you’re troubleshooting a network issue or running a program that requires access to your Mac’s network ports.

In order to take full advantage of the Firewall in Mac OS Mojave, you need to understand how it works and how to configure it. The Firewall is designed to protect your computer from incoming connections that could be malicious. By default, the Firewall is turned on and set to allow all incoming connections. This is the most secure setting and is recommended for most users. If you need to allow specific incoming connections, you can do so by creating a Firewall rule.

To create a Firewall rule, open the Security & Privacy preference pane and click the Firewall tab. Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner to unlock the preference pane and enter your administrator password. Then, click the “+” button to add a new rule.

In the popup window, you will need to enter a few pieces of information. First, give the rule a name so that you can easily identify it later. Then, select the application that you want to allow incoming connections for. If the application is not listed, you can click the “Add Other Application” button and select it from the Finder.

Next, you need to specify the type of connections that you want to allow. The options are “Allow incoming connections,” “Block incoming connections,” and “Allow specific services.” If you only want to allow specific services, you can click the “Edit Services” button and select the ones that you want to allow.

Finally, click the “Create” button to save the rule. The new rule will be added to the list of rules and will be applied immediately. You can verify that the rule is working by trying to connect to the application that you allowed incoming connections for. If the connection is successful, the Firewall will not block it.

If you need to allow a large number of incoming connections, you can create a Firewall rule for each one. This can be time-consuming, but it is the most secure way to ensure that only the connections that you want to allow are allowed. You can also use the “Set Access for Specific Services” feature to allow or block specific services. This is useful if you want to allow incoming connections for certain services, but not others.

The Firewall in Mac OS Mojave is a powerful tool that can help to protect your computer from malicious incoming connections. By understanding how it works and how to configure it, you can ensure that your computer is as secure as possible.