New Update Protect macOS Security Settings with Tamper Protection

upnorth

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Tamper protection in macOS helps prevent unwanted changes to security settings from being made by unauthorized users. Tamper protection helps prevent unauthorized removal of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on macOS. This capability also helps important security files, processes, and configuration settings from being tampered.
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simmerskool

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article begins: "Want to experience [MS] Defender for Endpoint?" Has Apple suggested this? I tend to doubt it. Perhaps Defender serves a useful purpose if you're using MS Office 365 on macOS? Otherwise, I'll wait to install Defender on macOS when Apple recommends it. Last time I talked with Apple upper level tech, commnet was "don't use any av, or if you think you must, use malwarebytes only." As far as I know microsoft does not say only use Defender on Windows. I will check into tamper protection to keep Defender off my mac_mini ;)
 

upnorth

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article begins: "Want to experience [MS] Defender for Endpoint?" Has Apple suggested this? I tend to doubt it. Perhaps Defender serves a useful purpose if you're using MS Office 365 on macOS? Otherwise, I'll wait to install Defender on macOS when Apple recommends it. Last time I talked with Apple upper level tech, commnet was "don't use any av, or if you think you must, use malwarebytes only." As far as I know microsoft does not say only use Defender on Windows. I will check into tamper protection to keep Defender off my mac_mini ;)
Don't worry. If Apple would not have approved it for any reason this would not exist either in their store or on a business/enterprise level. Here's an article from Forbes last year on the topic.

Microsoft Defender has landed on the Mac. It’s part of the company’s all-encompassing Microsoft 365 package, which includes the Office products and now Defender for PC, Mac, Android and even iOS. Microsoft is positioning Defender as a security dashboard for all of your devices. Parents, for example, can open the Defender app on their phone and get a reassuring reminder that all of the family’s other computing devices are protected. It’s not a marketing prank, although you suspect there was a degree of sniggering in the Microsoft press office when this was released...


Great installation guide:
 

upnorth

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Interesting, I'll read up on this. Amost funny in the sense that Apple partners with MS for Office 365, and now Apple "needs" Defender.
Even I have some parts of reservation as I know how well protected MacOS is, but that still hasn't stopped attackers using both exploits and malware and users on Macs is just as click happy as everyone else.

Implement defender on Macs/iOS in a genuine business/enterprise level makes sense.

More sources on the topic:
 

MuzzMelbourne

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After finding Office 365's tentacles in every conceivable place in my son's business computers, including 10 records in the cPanel config for his website, I wouldn't let Microsoft products anywhere near my Macs.

I firmly believe Apple's claim that MacOS shouldn't need A/V's if properly configured and the OS is kept up to date. However, just to be over cautious, I have Intego A/V installed as a final backup.
 
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ForgottenSeer 98186

After finding Office 365's tentacles in every conceivable place in my son's business computers, including 10 records in the cPanel config for his website, I wouldn't let Microsoft products anywhere near my Macs.
Given the ubiquity of Microsoft email and office, it is to be expected that it will be found in cPanel. IIRC there is an autodiscover feature in cPanel.
 

MuzzMelbourne

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Given the ubiquity of Microsoft email and office, it is to be expected that it will be found in cPanel. IIRC there is an autodiscover feature in cPanel.
Yeah, I was just surprised at the level of access to his company my son had signed away by agreeing to the MS T&C's just get the use of, in his case, Word and Excel.

God, i have to use 2FA to get access to the cPanel, these guy's just go in through the backdoor, delete and add cPanel records as they like. Unbelievable really...
 

simmerskool

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This sort of tangential to discussion, but I went to AV-C to see what they say about their tests of macOS anti-malware, if any, and the main page opens with bright orange disclaimer:
"This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Please note that by continuing to use this site you consent to the terms of our Privacy and Data Protection Policy .
Some of our partner services are located in the United States. According to the case law of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate data protection in the USA. There is a risk that your data will be controlled and monitored by US authorities. You cannot bring any effective legal remedies against this."

I must drop in on AV-C at least once a month and never saw this before...! How new is this warning?
 

simmerskool

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After finding Office 365's tentacles in every conceivable place in my son's business computers, including 10 records in the cPanel config for his website, I wouldn't let Microsoft products anywhere near my Macs.

I firmly believe Apple's claim that MacOS shouldn't need A/V's if properly configured and the OS is kept up to date. However, just to be over cautious, I have Intego A/V installed as a final backup.
fwiw, skimming macOS info at AV-C and Intego is "not approved" I am sensitive to this macOS anti-malware as in the more remote past, I've had my macs borked by more than one anti-malware app. Currently I am running malwarebytes in real-time on macOS ventura 13.1 and it has not caused any problems.
EDIT perhaps interesting that Apple recommended only MB to me, and skimming the tests at AV-C it looks like MB has not been tested, or tested recently...??
 
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ForgottenSeer 98186

fwiw, skimming macOS info at AV-C and Intego is "not approved" I am sensitive to this macOS anti-malware as in the more remote past, I've had my macs borked by more than one anti-malware app. Currently I am running malwarebytes in real-time on macOS ventura 13.1 and it has not caused any problems.
EDIT perhaps interesting that Apple recommended only MB to me, and skimming the tests at AV-C it looks like MB has not been tested, or tested recently...??
The recent legal "victory" over Apple now being forced to permit side-loading of apps... all that does is opens the Apple ecosystem to more malware. It was a victory for malc0ders, not users.

Apple did a good job of gatekeeping the malware. Now it is a wide-open ecosystem, and well, with that, users are gonna get what they get - which is the undiscovered country for threat actors. They're already setting out for a conquest. Barbarians at the Gate. The courts let them in.
 
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ForgottenSeer 98186

It will interesting to see if/how Apple repairs the breach. I don't think we've heard the end of this...
All the court did was to make a few whiny, complaining game developers more money at the expense of Apple device user security. It is not surprising though. Look at who is making the decisions - judges who are leftist and do not know the first thing about security. "Leftist and do not know the first thing about security"... frightful. Just frightful.
 

simmerskool

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Can you share more details?
Not much to add, I bought a mac_mini and one thing led to another, and was on phone with Apple support then bumped up to Level2 tech support, and the call was not about about anit-malware but since I had them on phone, I asked and was told, you do not need anti-malware, but if you feel like you must we recommend only MBAM. that was a couple years back, so could be stale info. I mentioned above that in the more remote past I had macs borked by two av at 2 different times. :eek::sick: Now, I do only very limited things on mac_mini. And now 99% in win10_VM. mini is very stable, and MBAM is never popped either. manual scan takes seconds and is always clean.
 

NormanF

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After finding Office 365's tentacles in every conceivable place in my son's business computers, including 10 records in the cPanel config for his website, I wouldn't let Microsoft products anywhere near my Macs.

I firmly believe Apple's claim that MacOS shouldn't need A/V's if properly configured and the OS is kept up to date. However, just to be over cautious, I have Intego A/V installed as a final backup.

All you need is Lulu to provide a front end to configure the MacOS Firewall. I've never faced a virus issue on a Unix system. Period.
 

MuzzMelbourne

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All you need is Lulu to provide a front end to configure the MacOS Firewall. I've never faced a virus issue on a Unix system. Period.
Cheers. I have the default MacOS firewall settings running and, since my previous post, removed Intego A/V, but I'll have a look at Lulu as well.

Thanks.

Edit:
Ok, just downloaded and installed Lulu, looking forward to learning all its tricks, Thanks again NormanF.

Just a heads-up for MacOS Ventura-on users, or more specifically those with the redesigned System Settings layout(I'm using Sonoma 14 Dev. Beta), the graphical guide isn't much use when installing Lulu, its for the older layout. So, it takes a bit of ingenuity to work around, better to adapt the instructions, and largely forget the images. It does install on the latest OS version though.
 
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simmerskool

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Cheers. I have the default MacOS firewall settings running and, since my previous post, removed Intego A/V, but I'll have a look at Lulu as well.

Thanks.

Edit:
Ok, just downloaded and installed Lulu, looking forward to learning all its tricks, Thanks again NormanF.

Just a heads-up for MacOS Ventura-on users, or more specifically those with the redesigned System Settings layout(I'm using Sonoma 14 Dev. Beta), the graphical guide isn't much use when installing Lulu, its for the older layout. So, it takes a bit of ingenuity to work around, better to adapt the instructions, and largely forget the images. It does install on the latest OS version though.
Curious what you think of Lulu. In more remote past I ran Little Snitch but neither is on my 2018 mac_mini. While skimming info about Lulu, some folks posted they had serious problems with Lulu (& some with Little Snitch too), perhaps older versions and older macOS... :unsure:
 
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MuzzMelbourne

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Curious what you think of Lulu. In more remote past I ran Little Snitch but neither is on my 2018 mac_mini. While skimming info about Lulu, some folks posted they had serious problems with Lulu (& some with Little Snitch too), perhaps older versions and older macOS... :unsure:
Honestly, I'm really a 'set-and-forget' default settings type user and, having only just installed it, its a bit early to say.

Having said that, other than out of date setup instructions for me, it was really easy to install and is really, really, light-weight.

From what I've managed to garner from YouTube etc., Little Snitch is a little more powerful than Lulu but fairly costly in comparison. Also, Lulu is open-source but I don't think Little Snitch is, I might me wrong though.

I do like the idea of Lulu complementing Apple Firewall rather than replacing it though. Having incoming and outgoing requests covered sounds like a good idea.
 
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NormanF

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Lulu lets you deny or allow an app to connect. It provides a user-friendly front end GUI to the MacOS firewall.
 

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