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13 min readMac administration is always evolving. One example of that evolution: Many Mac admins these days are being asked to at least help manage the security of their Mac fleets. That, in turn, means they need to understand the four basic components of Mac security:
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10 min readApple uses a layered approach system to protect Mac users against malware. The three layers are: Prevent the launch or execution of malware; Block malware from running on customer systems; and Remediate malware that has executed.
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10 min readDeploying apps to Apple devices is a fundamental job for any admin, but it isn’t a trivial one. That’s because there are several pathways to acquiring those apps, and you need to figure out which one makes the most sense for your use case and your users.
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7 min readWhen was the last time you or someone in your organization needed their Mac password to be something different than what it previously was? There are two ways to do that: change or reset. But although those two words might seem similar, their difference is significant.
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8 min readShell 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.
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9 min readChances are your IT team has a library of shared files that you all use and, more importantly, that you all edit. That library might include shell scripts you deploy to new Mac computers that enter the organization. It might contain a .logrc file your team shares to standardize log output. Maybe there’s a text document outlining your ever-evolving ticket escalation workflow.
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7 min readMac 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.
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5 min readWhen 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.
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6 min readThe 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:
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8 min readNot long ago, a Kandji customer reached out because they’d received a notification that they needed to renew their certificate for the Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). But when they tried to do so, they found they couldn’t. The problem: The admin who’d originally set up the certificate was no longer with the company. Without his Apple ID, they couldn’t renew.
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9 min readA while back, we offered up an introductory tutorial on APIs and how they’re used in the context of managing Apple devices. Apple admins use APIs all the time, whether they know it or not. Knowing the basics of how those APIs work and how they can be manipulated is essential knowledge for any Apple admin.
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11 min readApple 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.
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7 min readManaged 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.
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6 min readBack 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.
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5 min readSecuring sensitive company data is one of the top priorities for any IT department. For businesses that run on Apple, FileVault is an essential tool for Mac security. By encrypting all of the information on a Mac computer’s startup disk, FileVault makes company information unreadable to unauthorized users.
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