In the menu bar, click on Utilities and choose Startup Security Utility or Firmware Password Utility. Start your Mac in Recovery mode by turning the computer on and immediately holding Command (⌘)-R until you see a spinning globe or the Apple logo, at which point you can release the keys.You’ll need a Mac running on macOS 10.8 or later in order to use Open Firmware Password Protection. 3 How to enable Open Firmware Password Protection.

Open Firmware Password Protection stops hackers from using Recovery mode as an easy backdoor to your machine and acts as a deterrent to thieves. This presents a security risk, as bad actors may be able to access unencrypted hard disk data, disable Find My, or install a new operating system on a stolen computer. But anyone with physical access to your Mac can still boot the machine using another startup disk, or put the computer into Recovery mode. Your main user account should already be protected with a password.

It prevents someone else from booting up your computer using anything other than your designated startup disk: for example, a USB boot disk, an external hard drive, or a boot CD / DVD. Open Firmware Password Protection is a security feature that protects your Mac at the hardware level. One of these is Open Firmware Password Protection. Luckily, your Mac has some hidden features that can be enabled for extra security. Macs are very safe computers, but they’re not immune to attacks - or to theft. 6 Things to Know about Open Firmware Password Protection

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