Tag Archives: Apple

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows Defender Security Comes To Mac Devices

If you’re a Mac user and looking for next-level antivirus protection, we’ve got some potentially good news.

Microsoft recently announced that their enterprise security platform, (Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection) is now available for macOS.

To reflect the product’s move away from offering protection exclusively to Windows-based systems, the company tweaked the name of the product.  It is now called simply “Microsoft Defender ATP.”

The newly minted version of the software is currently available for Macs in limited preview form, and represents the latest in an ongoing expansion effort.  Last month, the company rolled out a version that extended its impressive protection to both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.  Future plans will include a further expansion to also provide protection to Linux-based machines.

At this point, Admins can install Microsoft Defender ATP on the following macOS versions:

  • Mojave
  • High Sierra
  • Sierra

Individual users will have the option to configure advanced settings in the software unless their admins specifically disable that functionality.  The code also includes an auto-update feature that can be toggled by an Admin.

If you’re an admin working in a Mac environment, you might not see a particular need for the new software. However, Microsoft pointed out in the bulletin they released with the announcement that Defender can detect KeRanger, which was the first ransomware strain to target the macOS.

In any case, more security options are generally better than fewer, and Microsoft has long been a favorite target of the hacking world.  Love them or hate them, they do know a thing or two about security, especially at the enterprise level. Most insiders hail this move as a good one.

All that to say, if augmenting system security figures highly in your near term plans, and it probably does, this could be an excellent addition to your arsenal.

 

 

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Apple Developers Will Make Apps Usable On All Devices

Apple recently announced an important strategic change in direction that’s great news for developers.  In their next SDK release, developers will be able to build a single app that will work on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac the company makes.

The benefits to developers are obvious, with the biggest being a general reduction of development time.

There will be no need to make three different variants of an app to cover the entire Apple ecosystem.  It will also mean more potential customers if a development group has been focused on only one segment of that ecosystem.

The change will also give Apple a powerful advantage in that eventually, the company will be able to merge the Mac App Store and the App Store for iOS. That will reduce their digital footprint and make managing their vast holdings easier. In addition to that, it will streamline the approval process, allowing developers to submit a single binary for all Apple devices.

According to a statement recently published by the company, the new development kit could be pushed out by as early as June, which is generating a tremendous amount of excitement in the Apple development community.

Obviously, consumers will see a big win here as well.  Once the changes are complete and the two app stores are merged, there will be a single official hub where Apple users can get all their favorite Apps. They won’t even have to worry about cross-device compatibility, which will improve the overall user experience.

The bottom line is that it will make things easier for developers, make managing the process easier for Apple, simplify things, and improve the user experience for the legions of end users in Apple’s ecosystem. Kudos to the company for making the move.  Exciting changes are ahead!

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Safari On Mac Now Vulnerable To Browser History Theft

There’s a new macOS security flaw you and your staff need to be aware of.  It was discovered by Jeff Johnson, the developer of the Underpass app for both Mac and iOS, and the StopTheMaddness Safari browser extension.

Fortunately, the new flaw is not one that can be exploited remotely.  Users would have to be tricked into installing a malicious app via social engineering or other tricks.

On the other hand, the flaw is critical and impacts all known macOS Mojave versions.

Mr. Johnson had this to say about the matter:

“On Mojave, certain folders have restricted access that is forbidden by default.  For example, ~/Library/Safari.  In the Terminal app, you can’t even list the contents of the folder.  However, I’ve discovered a way to bypass these protections in Mojave and allow apps to look inside ~/Library/Safari without acquiring any permission from the system or from the user.  There are no permission dialogs.  It Just Works.  In this way, a malware app could secretly violate a user’s privacy by examining their web browser history.”

Johnson reached out to Apple privately and shared the full details of the flaw, but refused to provide more details than the above to the general public, saying that since the issue has yet to be patched, he does not want to put macOS users at risk.

Although Apple has formally acknowledged his report, the company has to this point provided no information on some things. This includes what level of importance they’re giving a fix for the issue, and what their time frame might be in terms of issuing a fix.

It’s a serious issue, no doubt, but there’s a lack of public details about it. The fact that it can’t be executed remotely suggests it’s not as big a threat as it could be.  Even so, be mindful of it until Apple issues a fix.

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