Opening Pages can take several seconds, and other apps can hang around for 30 seconds before they’re ready to use. Is it XProtect, online certificate checks, or what?
Gatekeeper
Overview of how different subsystems work together during launching a notarized app, from LaunchServices to checking WritingTools and AI availability.
After setting a record of 29 updates through the year, XProtect’s Yara rules have grown from about 195 in 167 KB of text to 328 in 921 KB. Here are other details for the other XProtects, Gatekeeper and more.
Recommendations for the ‘standard’ user for security and privacy protection from startup to shutdown. A broad overview of all key systems and how they fit together.
In Sequoia, XProtect’s data is now updated in a different way. Does this change its capabilities, though? A quick dip into YARA files has the answer.
Notarization is now obligatory for developers, but at the same time, we’re still able to run our own apps that aren’t notarized. Here’s how that works, and why.
Essential details of each of the three types of XProtect data files, how they’re updated, how to update them, and more. Covers new XProtect in macOS 15.x.
Although we have another month to wait for AI, Sequoia 15.0 has important new features including iPhone Mirroring, the Passwords app, and changes in XProtect.
App launch security is built in multiple layers, and not all check are run on every launch of an app. Syspolicy plays a key role, CDHashes are now central, and XProtect scans can make checks on large apps slow.
Three malicious apps – Atomic Stealer, Genieo and XCSSET – against macOS 14.6.1, with full security, SIP disabled, and Gatekeeper disabled.
The Eclectic Light Company 