How to Stay Safe On An Unsupported Mac?

TheSoccerG wrote:

Also, I have seen ads for mac anti viruses should I use them?

Ignore them. Those types of apps will only cause you problems because they interfere with the normal operation of macOS. These days many of those anti-virus apps will just be collecting your personal information and money (fees).

Things I have already done:

2. Turned on my firewall (built in one)

It won't do anything for you except to possibly cause problems. Turn it back off.....it is off by default for a reason.....most people don't need it because they are already isolated from the Internet by their router's firewall.

Whether your computer is old or new, the best protection is for the user to follow safe computing habits. Here is another excellent article with a multitude of tips:

Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community

(3) is ok, but the other two are unnecessary. Safari is by far the most secure browser available, even for Monterey. Use whichever you please, but if security and privacy are concerns Safari is still better than Firefox.

All Macs continue to receive XProtect updates... even Macs much older than yours: Protecting against malware in macOS - Apple Support. The latest update was issued yesterday.

Stay on well known and trustworthy websites.

Don't download apps from unknown places.

Don't click on strange links in unsolicited emails.

In other words exercise common sense.

Start a fund for a new Mac. If you save around $25 dollars a month, in 2 years you'll have enough for a brand new Mac Mini.

https://www.apple.com/safari/docs/Safari_White_Paper_Nov_2019.pdf

That document precedes Monterey's version of Safari. It describes core security and privacy features that have been incorporated in Safari versions well before even that date.

The answers to the specific questions you asked often manifest in problems with websites that use an outdated, ill-conceived, privacy-invasive means of determining browser compatibility before those websites will even load. Those practices have been described as a terrible idea that should be avoided at all costs. Those are not Apple's words, they are those of the WWW consortium that develops standards for web browsers. The implied assumption that newer is better fails when comparing the latest version of Firefox (for example) to even old and "outdated" versions of Safari. Firefox is a fine browser (as are some others), but FF is primarily designed for flexibility and customization whereas security and privacy are primary concerns for everything Apple does. Safari is also notoriously rigid regarding encryption and security certificates whereas other browsers take a much more permissive approach.

Read https://wicg.github.io/ua-client-hints/ for more information on that practice.

Hi.

Unsupported macOS means limited security updates. Stay updated on apps and cautious online. No real fix without new hardware.

You might want to review this guide by Apple:

Personal Safety User Guide - Apple Support

John Galt, would you please expand* upon this:

"Safari is by far the most secure browser available, even for Monterey. Use whichever you please, but if security and privacy are concerns Safari is still better than Firefox."

1) In example, address the issue of using a no-longer-supported browser versus a supported one. (I know about macOS XProtect and Remediator updates.)

2) Other than if websites don't allow a version to work, at what point do you consider an unsupported-Safari's security to no longer be better?

*My question(s) isn't a criticism of your statement, I'm seeking knowledge. Your ability and benevolence is known to me. Also, my question is aimed at the security implications, not Safari's extant privacy features.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and the links.