If you are not careful, you can turn your Mac into an expensive 'Door Stop'. I agree with John Galt, do not start removing Mac OS X components. However, even if they are enabled, to use most of those services the attacker would also need to know your username and password to gain access. However, since it is a laptop, if you leave the home, then if you have any of those sharing services enabled, then the services will be visible to other users, at least in the same coffee shop. In addition, if your Mac never leaves your home, and you have a home router, and that home router has not been configured to open ports to the outside world, then your router will not even let any of those sharing services be seen by the internet. Mac OS X has a history of NOT opening ports, unless you ask it to, via System Preferences -> Sharing also check if there is a user profile set up that is not yours. System Preferences -> Sharing -> File Sharingīasically do not enable any of the 'Sharing' options, then Mac OS X will not start any processes that listen for connections, and no one will be able to connect to your Mac remotely. Disable (uncheck) in System Preferences+Sharing: File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Remote Management, Remote Login + (check in allow access for ) who has the permission. System Preferences -> Sharing -> Remote Login

System Preferences -> Sharing -> Screen Sharing

System Preferences -> Sharing -> Remote Management

Turn off remote mac