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8 min readWhen it comes to managing Mac computers, there are several ways IT teams can configure their settings remotely.
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16 min readWith 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).
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5 min readThe 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.
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5 min readMigrating 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.
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10 min readBack in May 2022, Apple announced a new series of online IT training and certification programs. These programs follow three tracks: Apple Device Support, Apple Deployment and Management, and Apple Business Essentials.
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5 min readThe biggest challenge faced by Mac security researchers today: Too many people still subscribe to the idea that Mac systems are impervious to security threats. That was the top takeaway from a conversation I recently had with two of those security pros: Tony Piazza, purple team lead and offensive security engineer at Nvidia, and Christopher Lopez, senior researcher at Iru. We talked about how they got to where they are in their careers, how they spend their workdays now, and how they try to tell the world a more realistic story about Mac security.
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6 min readPackages 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.
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7 min readDespite the rise of paperless and remote offices, managing printers is still a thing, something Mac admins must deal with every day.
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3 min readWhen 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.
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5 min readIt 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.
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7 min readAnyone 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.
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5 min readWhile 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.
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10 min readThere’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.
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5 min readWe’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.
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4 min readAs 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.”
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