Author: Ben Toms

Issue accessing certain websites after installing the iOS 16.5.1 (a), iPadOS 16.5.1 (a), and macOS 13.4.1 (a) Rapid Security Responses

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Yesterday, Apple released Rapid Security Responses (RSR’s) for iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1.

However, not long after it’s released people started to see issues accessing certain websites via Safari.

In response to this, Apple posted the above shown KB. This KB advises Rapid Security Responses iOS 16.5.1 (b), iPadOS 16.5.1 (b), and macOS 13.4.1 (b) will be available soon to address this issue, and how to remove the RSR’s.

See below for some more details on the issue affecting the iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1 RSR’s, how to remove and detect.

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MacAD.UK 2023 – What’s new in macOS Ventura for Mac admins

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At macad.uk 2023 I revisited a talk I gave in November at a dataJAR Tech Series event.

See below for a link to the video, the GitHub repo with all of the links and lastly a link to the macad.uk 2023 playlist on YouTube.

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MacAD.UK Panel 2023

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At this years macad.uk, I was invited to join the MacAdmins.org Podcast on stage for a live podcast.

I accepted, partly due to wanting to keep myself ahead of Joel.. and also as I was 3 ciders in (thanks to VMware for the open bar).

A link to this episode can be found below, and some of the conversation hasn’t aged too well.. with recent announcements made at WWDC.

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Apple platform deployment – Accessing the latest version when your locale is neither en-ca or en-us

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TL;DR – To get the latest version of Apple platform deployment which has been updated as per the above when your locale is neither en-ca or en-us, go to: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/deployment/welcome/web

More details on this below.

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dataJAR Tech Series: What’s new with Ventura for Mac admins

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Next week at macad.uk 2023 I’m revisiting a talk which I gave last November at a dataJAR Tech Series event, and I just realised that I hadn’t posted the talk here.

So this post addresses the oversight!

You can find my talk and it’s slides, as well as the other talks from the days dataJAR Tech Series event here.

JNUC2022 : On Bootstrap Tokens, Secure Tokens, and Volume Ownership

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Not only was I on a panel at JNUC 2022, but I also gave a talk in person too titled: JNUC2022 : On Bootstrap Tokens, Secure Tokens, and Volume Ownership.

Despite me giving this talk in person, Jamf have published the prior recorded remote version (with the majority of talks recorded prior due to JNUC2022‘s hybrid nature).

One difference between this and the panel recording is that this one is COVID-19 free!

See below for a link to the video, the GitHub repo with all of the links and lastly a link to the JNUC2022 playlist.

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JNUC 2022: Patch Management Solutions Panel

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For JNUC 2022, I was invited onto a panel to discuss patch management solutions for Jamf Pro once again.

This followed a similar format to the 2021 panel. Not only did this years panel include myself alongside Armin Briegel, Ryan Ball and Sam Weiss, but we were joined this time by Isaac Ordonez as well.

Sadly, for the recording, I was a little unwell and the following day tested positive for COVID-19. So, if I sound a little off, that’s why.

See below for a link to the panels video, as well as links to the JNUC 2022 YouTube playlist.

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Apple Platform Deployment – Now available in a locale near you!

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The Apple Deployment Guide (https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/welcome/web) is always updated soon after a major macOS release. However, it can take a couple of weeks for it to become available in many locales.

This year has been no exception, but as of today the Apple Deployment Guide (https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/welcome/web) should now be available to all locales (that link should direct to your locale).

Prior to today, when accessing https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/welcome/web from outside Canada and the US, folks would be redirected to their locales version of the guide, which was dated June 2022.

Even trying https://support.apple.com/en-us/guide/deployment/welcome/web would redirect folks to their locales version of the guide.

The one exception was is the en-CA locale (https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/deployment/welcome/web), which doesn’t seem to redirect. And as such, folks outside Canada and the US have been accessing the guide via that URL.

Regardless, its welcome to have the documentation available to all.

And, if so inclined, why not file feedback with Apple along the lines of what I filed below. So those of us outside Canada and the US are not left out in the cold for a couple of weeks next time (maybe):

FB11718598 (When a locales documentation isn’t available, redirect to en-US)

macOS Ventura and bypassing the new SystemPolicyAppBundles privacy policy control

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https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/
privacypreferencespolicycontrol/services

With every macOS release since macOS Mojave, Apple have added more privacy policy controls (PPPC) for Admins to manage via MDM. And todays release of macOS Ventura, is no different, with two new PPPC which coming with macOS Ventura:

Managed Login Items are something which will I expect will be widely blogged about, but SystemPolicyAppBundles might not be as to trigger this new PPPC requires a narrow path to be trodden and even then, can be bypassed.

The below details the path required to trigger this new PPPC, and how to bypass.

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Farewell macOS Server

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_Server

Today, Apple published https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208312, which states:

As of April 21, 2022, Apple has discontinued macOS Server. Existing macOS Server customers can continue to download and use the app with macOS Monterey.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208312

As someone that cut my teeth with OSX Server on 10.3 (Panther), I’d like to say farewell old friend.

In addition, Apple have posted a document on choosing and MDM solution and as well have another document advising that:

Apple will discontinue Fleetsmith service on October 21, 2022
As of April 21, 2022, Apple has discontinued new signups for Fleetsmith.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213238

If you’re looking for a replacement for either Profile Manager or Fleetsmith, why not head over to the MacAdmins.org Slack, or reach out to folks like.. oh, I dunno.. dataJAR 🙂

Anyways, farewell macOS Server!