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Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 07:43:00 -0800<\/strong><\/p>\n Apple remains a highly secure choice for enterprise professionals, but security threats remain and the environment requires sophisticated endpoint management tools, confirmed Build America Mutual<\/a> (BAM) CTO, David McIntyre.<\/p>\n BAM is one of the leading<\/a> U.S. municipal bond insurers and has insured over $65 billion since launch in 2012. It also has the rare distinction of being a fintech firm that is completely based on Macs.<\/p>\n It has been an Apple-based enterprise since the start.<\/p>\n \u201cThe founders all use Macs at home,\u201d McIntyre explained. \u201cWe said, let\u2019s try to build a financial firm that uses Macs.\u201d<\/p>\n When the company launched, it also found most of its potential employees used Macs, so it made even more sense to standardize round Apple\u2019s platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought it would be easier and would let a small team support the employees.\u201d<\/p>\n McIntyre was speaking at the recent Jamf JNUC<\/a> event to talk about the recently announced Jamf Protect<\/a> endpoint security solution, as noted here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The challenge his company faced is that it deals with financial transactions valued at billions of dollars for huge clients \u2013 and is also based in New York which has legendarily tough cybersecurity regulations.<\/p>\n This means BAM must use the best security protection it can get.<\/p>\n The company has learned as it grows \u2013 among other lessons it has learned that the security environment for even Apple\u2019s platforms is increasingly complicated.<\/p>\n \u201cFive years ago, security was probably 10% of the jobs\u201d of the company\u2019s system admins, said McIntyre.<\/p>\n \u201cNow probably 50-60% of their time is spent on cybersecurity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cNot just because of cybersecurity regulations, but also because we\u2019ve become a lot more aware of the security environment. It\u2019s a thing that keeps me up at night.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the size of its business, BAM is a small firm with just two system admins to handle the technical needs of its one hundred employees.<\/p>\n Apple has a great reputation for security<\/a>, and usually moves fast to address platform-based threats, but those aren\u2019t the only exploits that exist on the platform.<\/p>\n Regular security and OS updates and speedy response to most identified challenges mean the platform is innately robust, but while virus checkers and firewalls can provide permiter protection, most security researchers now agree that the threat environment demands a more complete insight into device and machine security.<\/p>\n The challenge is that Mac malware does exist \u2013 and while Apple\u2019s platform has lots of built-in protection, the biggest security vulnerability tends to be the humans using the computers and the applications they choose to install on them.<\/p>\n \u201cOne common way malware is distributed is by embedding it in a harmless-looking app,\u201d Apple states on a support page<\/a>.<\/p>\n When BAM started in business, it relied only on Apple\u2019s security.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d always relied on software updates,\u201d said McIntyre. \u201cI hadn\u2019t realised the need for endpoint protection.\u201d<\/p>\n He came to understand the need for tougher protection as his awareness of the big picture around Mac security grew and as the number of attempts<\/a> made against Apple\u2019s platforms continues to increase.<\/p>\n BAM now uses Jamf\u2019s new endpoint security solution which has already protected it against threats.<\/p>\n McIntryre told the JNUC audience of one of these:<\/p>\n \u201cA few months ago, we had an alarm go off on Jamf Protect and at the same time our network stopped working,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt turned out that one of our employees had downloaded the number one Chrome plug-in.\u201d<\/p>\n The offending plug-in turned out to be a popular parcel tracking app that had \u201c50,000\u201d reviews, he said. Half of those reviews were positive, while the others described similar problems as his company faced, he said, calling it \u2018malware\u2019.<\/p>\n BAM was able to isolate the problem and create a new set of rules through which to manage Mac security. These rules extended to the development of a white list of approved Chrome plug-ins.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually realised that Chrome browser plug-ins were a real Wild West,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Of course, not every Mac user has access to powerful enterprise security solutions.<\/p>\n But the lessons for any Mac user should be the same as they always have been in cybersecurity:<\/p>\n For more security tips for Mac users please read this guide<\/a> (The report needs updating but still carries plenty of helpful suggestions).<\/p>\n Please follow me on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, or join me in the\u00a0AppleHolic\u2019s bar & grill<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Apple Discussions<\/a>\u00a0groups on MeWe.<\/em><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.computerworld.com\/category\/security\/index.rss<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Credit to Author: Jonny Evans| Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 07:43:00 -0800<\/strong><\/p>\n Apple remains a highly secure choice for enterprise professionals, but security threats remain and the environment requires sophisticated endpoint management tools, confirmed Build America Mutual<\/a> (BAM) CTO, David McIntyre.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe Mac only bank<\/strong><\/h2>\n