Just like the code signature, SIP also checks that the Apple signature is valid. The signature that Apple generates is then returned to the developer, who then attaches it and the code signature to the application. These servers check the application for malware, and if it is malware-free, the software is signed by Apple. When an application is notarized, the developer sends it to Apple’s security servers. Code NotarizationĬode notarization takes protection against malware one step further and works in conjunction with code signatures. You know not to use the aspirin when the bottle’s seal is broken because what’s in the bottle may be something different from the aspirin put in it at the factory. They don’t prevent anyone from opening the bottle before buying it – they just make it obvious that someone has opened it before you. SIP then prevents macOS from running the app and tells you why it cannot be run.Ĭode signatures act like the tamper-evident seals on the bottle of aspirin. If the code signatures are not identical, SIP knows that the application has been changed by someone other than the original developer. When you first run an application on your Mac, SIP recalculates the code signature and checks to ensure it is the same as the one appended to the application. This unique, large number is a closely guarded secret protected by the developer. This data, called a code signature, is the cryptographic result of processing all the application pieces in conjunction with a unique, large, number that the developer has received from Apple. When a developer signs an application or other software, a block of cryptographic data is appended to the application. (Code signing was introduced in Mac OS X 10.8 and code notarization in macOS 10.14.6.) Code Signatures SIP has many different features that protect your Mac from malware, but the two I want to describe here are code signing and code notarization. It even runs if you have Secure Boot disabled. In addition, it’s always running, both when your Mac first starts up and when it has been on for days, weeks, or months. Unlike Secure Boot, SIP (System Integrity Protection) is available on all Macs-even those without T2 chips. If they connect their SoftRAID volume more than 2 minutes after startup, then the correct, updated driver loads instead. If a user has a Mac with a T2 chip, has Secure Boot enabled, and has their SoftRAID volume attached at startup time or connects it within the first 2 minutes, Secure Boot loads the older version of the SoftRAID driver included in the macOS installer. Unfortunately, this is where Secure Boot gets in the way. So, we want the give users the ability to update their SoftRAID driver when a new release becomes available. SoftRAID as a reputation for being very responsive in providing bug fixes and enhancements when they are needed. This allows users to connect a SoftRAID volume to their Mac and have the volume mount without first running an application to update the driver. Unfortunately, this policy of only loading the driver included in the macOS installer also affects drivers not used for the startup volume – it affects all drivers loaded in the first 2 minutes.Īpple has been shipping the SoftRAID driver as part of macOS for more than 10 years. Starting with macOS 10.15, if a newer version of one of those drivers is installed on your startup volume, Secure Boot will load the older one from the macOS installer instead. Secure Boot is designed to allow only drivers that Apple ships to be used for the startup volume. Two minutes later, Secure Boot stops safeguarding your Mac. In fact, it ONLY protects your Mac at boot time. As the name implies, it protects your Mac against malware infection at boot time (when your Mac is starting up). Secure Boot is available only on Macs with T2 chips. Starting with macOS 10.14.6, SIP also assures that the software has been previously checked for malware by Apple’s malware scanning servers. SIP ensures that software that runs on your Mac is only from developers recognized by Apple. SIP starts protecting your Mac when it first boots up and continues for as long as your Mac is running. What is protecting your Mac from malware the entire time, is System Integrity Protection (SIP). After 2 minutes, Secure Boot offers no protection. Startup Security Settings for Secure BootĪctually, Secure Boot only protects your Mac for less than 2 minutes after the white Apple logo appears on the screen during startup.
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