The firm's MDM Watchdog Utility keeps an eye on the MDM framework on devices that automatically requires the installation of application fixes when they have not yet been deployed.
Enterprise administrators managing fleets of Macs should be aware of this: there is an updated safety management solution coming from Apple devices management company Addigy.
The MDM Watchdog Utility constantly checks the MDM framework on devices and, if necessary, requires the installation of software updates. This is intended to assist in the resolution of a specific issue where some managed Macs (not all) fail to correctly install Apple's Rapid Security Response upgrades.
RSR - Rapid Security Response is a crucial first line of defense against emerging attacks in the quickly evolving threat environment of today. Once new threats are discovered, the defense will be distributed and installed as quickly as possible across all of Apple's platforms. It will be simpler to manage security across Mac fleets, it is hoped, by accelerating distribution and streamlining the installation procedure. That's crucial as enterprise IT departments move to enable employee choice and the size of Apple deployments increases.
That defense, however, is plainly less effective when managed Macs neglect to install them correctly.
Addigy asserts that the problem may affect up to 25% of macOS computers in managed environments, according to its own study. After an update is issued, instead of improving their defenses, they stay in this "stuck state," and the update is never put into effect.
Time fools all of us
The company believes that this is made worse by the fact that without manually monitoring every machine, IT teams are unable to determine which machines have not implemented RSR updates. Of course, this means other MDM operations will also be delayed. That can't be good.
Addigy stated that MDM Watchdog inspect the MDM framework on the devices and automatically corrects those in which the issue was found.
To accomplish this, a tool continuously checks devices to make sure they are functioning normally and interacting with one another in order to respond to commands from IT administrators (such as installing an urgent security patch just like RSR updates).
What is the root cause of the issue?
Addigy believes that the updates aren't being applied in some instances because the MDM client binary gets stuck after running the OSUpdateScan command and ceases to communicate with Apple MDM Framework, providing some additional perspective into the nature of the problem. In that case, subsequent MDM actions might not be taken or might be postponed.
According to Jason Dettbarn, Addigy CEO , the damage on macOS systems in any enterprise is probably the same given that the stuck status problem they observed within customers' environment affects one quarter of the computers. They pledge to maintain the security of the macOS devices used by customers. To guarantee that every device belonging to one of their customers automatically gets updated with the most recent RSR and any upcoming updates, the MDM Watchdog utility is a vital tool.
In the future, the tool will be made accessible as a utility for Macs with other MDM service, the business claimed. The tool is now available for Addigy clients. Addigy advises IT personnel to check that the update has been deployed on all of the fleet's Macs in the meantime.
Optimistically, it appears likely that Apple will come up with a platform-based resolution to this issue, most likely requiring modifications of OSUpdateScan APIs that it provides with device management companies in order to increase process dependability.