The Iru Blog

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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6 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 an endpoint 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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5 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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8 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

Iru Team

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5 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Leveraging MDM to Enable Remote Work

When more companies began letting their employees work from home a few years ago, device security and productivity became more important than ever for IT. Beyond just figuring out how to make sure remote team members could get their work done, admins needed to guard company data against the unique security risks posed by this new work environment.

Educational April 4, 2023

Iru Team

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6 min read

Device Management Solutions Explained: MDM vs EMM vs UEM

The IT world loves its three-letter acronyms. As part of that world, Apple device management is no different. If you deploy and manage fleets of Mac computers and iPhone or iPad devices for an organization, you’ve no doubt heard plenty of them. In particular, if you’ve spent any time researching ways to manage devices in your organization, you may have seen references to:

Educational March 31, 2023

Iru Team

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11 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Apple Business Manager

Apple Business Manager is a critical tool for anyone who manages Apple devices. It provides a critical link between your Apple device management solution and your devices, enabling things like Automated Device Enrollment (ADE). Add in its utility in distributing apps and other content at scale and other content and its ability to federate with user directories, and Apple Business Manager clearly becomes essential for any Mac admin.

Educational February 14, 2023

Iru Team

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7 min read

Guide for Apple IT: Managed Apple Accounts

Managed Apple Accounts are Apple Accounts (formerly Apple IDs) that your organization owns, controls, and assigns to users. Like any Apple Account, Managed Apple Accounts can be used to sign in to devices and services.

Educational February 10, 2023

Iru Team

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6 min read

Zero Trust Security: What Mac Admins Need to Know

Back in the day, organizational security was built around the idea of a firewall: The security system blocked access to resources within the organization from external bad actors. Originally, that paradigm was literal: You established a perimeter and kept people from outside the building from accessing the network—and the resources attached to it—inside.

Educational February 2, 2023