The Iru Blog

Managing iCloud Access: What You Can (and Can't) Do

Configuring Mac Settings: MDM, Configuration Profiles, or Scripting?

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).

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.

Apple IT Training and Certification: What You Need to Know

Back 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.

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.

Secure Token, Bootstrap Token, and Mac Security: How They Fit Together

It’s been more than five years since Apple introduced the concept of secure token in macOS. But for many Mac admins, that technology can still be a source of some confusion. It doesn’t help that, in the intervening years, Apple has evolved the technology significantly. Things have definitely come a long way since that initial launch of secure token.

How-To Guide: Changing and Resetting Mac Passwords

When 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.

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.

Guide for Apple IT: Managing FileVault

Securing 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.

Reasons to Use Apple Business Manager

Apple Business Manager is a free service provided by Apple that allows organizations to manage three things: devices, apps, and accounts. Simply put, if your organization owns Apple devices, you should be using Apple Business Manager (or its education-sector equivalent, Apple School Manager). There’s literally no downside to it. Apple Business manager offers many benefits—some well-known, others less so—and it doesn’t cost a thing.

802.1X Enterprise Wi-Fi Authentication: What Mac Admins Need to Know

Most people—even some admins—don’t think twice about logging into the office Wi-Fi network. Typically, they just supply a username and password, their Apple devices log in, and they never think about what just happened. But there’s a lot going on under the hood to make that authentication work. There are a bewildering variety of authentication protocols—each with its own acronym, of course—enabling enterprise Wi-Fi. As someone who manages Apple devices in the enterprise, it’s typically up to you to make sure those wireless connections happen. So here’s what you need to know about enterprise authentication and how it works.