The Iru Blog

Iru Team

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16 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Introduction to Mac Shell Scripts

With computers, there are usually multiple ways to perform a given task. On Mac, the most obvious and most common way is through the graphical user interface (GUI) using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. But smart Mac admins know that anything you can do in the GUI you can usually also do from the command-line interface (CLI).

Educational January 16, 2024

Iru Team

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5 min read

Mac Evaluation Utility: What It's Good For, How to Use It

The Mac Evaluation Utility (MEU) started out as an informal collection of scripts that Apple engineers and consultants would use to evaluate client environments, to see if they were ready for the deployment of Apple devices. Those scripts would check things like local device settings, network configurations, and the accessibility of Apple services, looking for anything that might pose problems for that deployment.

Educational January 8, 2024

Iru Team

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5 min read

Key to Successful MDM Migration: Enlisting Users

Migrating from one MDM solution to another can be a huge win not only for an Apple IT team but for its organization as a whole. That move can unlock efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve security and compliance for everyone. But in pitching, planning, and executing such a migration, it’s good to keep one particular constituency front of mind: your end users. Ultimately, they’re the real reason you’re switching—and you can’t make the move without them.

Educational December 14, 2023

Iru Team

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6 min read

Apple IT Essentials: PKGs and Software Deployment

Packages are structured files, denoted by a .pkg or .mpkg file extension, used to carry installable software. They can contain app and software components, scripts, receipts, and other metadata necessary to install, update, or remove an application. But there are several different types of packages that you might run across.

Educational November 17, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

Managing Mac Printing: What Admins Need to Know

Despite the rise of paperless and remote offices, managing printers is still a thing, something Mac admins must deal with every day.

Educational November 10, 2023

Iru Team

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3 min read

Kandji Introduces Enhanced Controls for External Storage Volumes

When your organization audits security, does it include removable storage in that assessment? If not, it should: According to one survey, while 87 percent of companies still use USB drives, less than half of them impose port control on employee devices, and less than half require the use of encryption on those drives.

Product News October 18, 2023

Iru Team

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5 min read

Four Signs It's Time to Switch MDM Solutions

It isn’t that difficult to know when you need to change your current MDM solution. The most prominent sign? You dread making any changes—small or large—to the macOS, iOS, iPadOS, or tvOS devices you’re managing.

Thought Leadership October 13, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

The Evolution of Managed Apple IDs

Anyone who manages Apple devices has had at least some contact with Managed Apple IDs. Like personal Apple IDs, the managed kind can be used to access Apple devices and services. But unlike personal IDs, Managed Apple IDs are owned and controlled by the organization, rather than the end user.

Educational September 15, 2023

Iru Team

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5 min read

AI and Cybersecurity: What You Need to Know

While artificial intelligence (AI) could be a world-changing technology, we’ve also seen some dire warnings about the dangers it might pose. Regardless of what you think about those warnings, as an Apple admin you do need to be mindful of the particular—and real—threats that AI poses to IT and information security here and now. Here’s what you need to know about AI and cybersecurity and what you can do to mitigate the risks.

Educational September 5, 2023

Iru Team

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10 min read

How to Offboard Apple Devices: From Recycling to Resale

There’s a lot of information available to Apple admins about the best ways to onboard devices and deploy them to users. We’ve got Automated Device Enrollment, zero-touch deployment, and other workflows that help at the beginning of a device’s lifetime. But what about the other end of the device lifecycle, when you’re ready to move devices out of your organization? Offboarding workflows don't get as much attention.

Educational August 24, 2023

Iru Team

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5 min read

How Integrating EDR with MDM Boosts Mac Endpoint Security

We’ve talked before about why endpoint detection and response matters and about how important it is for you, as an Apple admin, to have a security solution in place for the devices you manage. You know that the threat landscape—especially for Mac—has changed and that the old complacency about Apple security is no longer viable.

Educational August 17, 2023

Iru Team

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4 min read

Why Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Matters

As director of security and compliance at Neural Payments, David Patrick knows he can’t be complacent about the Apple endpoints in his care. “Previously, we could just say, ‘It's an Apple device, there is no malware.’ That just isn't sufficient anymore.”

Thought Leadership August 8, 2023

Iru Team

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6 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Zero-Touch Deployment for Mac

As an Apple admin, setting up new devices for end users became trickier in the last couple of years. With so many employees suddenly working outside the office, the workflows for equipping them with Apple devices needed to adapt. Personally handing a Mac to each new team member on their first day was no longer always feasible. That's why zero-touch deployments have become more important than ever.

Educational July 27, 2023

Iru Team

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8 min read

Mac Shell Scripts: Tips for Apple Admins

Shell scripts are indispensable for managing Mac computers. That makes shell scripting a vital skill for Mac admins. If you're one of them, chances are you already know at least the rudiments of scripting. But for many admins, it doesn’t go much beyond that: They might know enough to copy and paste someone else’s script from StackOverflow, make a few tweaks to it, then cross their fingers and hope it works. But no matter their level of scripting expertise, they can always learn more.

Educational May 11, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Mac malware has been around as long as the Mac itself. But historically, the problem received little attention from Apple and its customers. That neglect was largely benign because, while Mac malware did exist, it remained relatively rare. The examples that did proliferate tended not to carry the same risks as their Windows counterparts; more often, they were proofs of concept rather than genuine dangers.

Educational April 27, 2023