Without making too much noise, Apple has been adding new features to macOS in recent years that make it easier to use MacBooks and other brand equipment in the business environment. It did it last year by improving the MDM management of its teams and repeats it this time in macOS Ventura, reinforcing security.
The feature that is incorporated with the macOS update that takes in September is “USB RestrictedMode“. In this sense, we are talking about a new function that protects computers against the possible malware that can be found on any USB drive that we connect to its USB ports. Equally interesting for organizations, it prevents workers from taking company information with them using a flash drive or similar device.
As explained by the company itself, “On laptops with Apple Silicon, the new USB and Thunderbolt accessories require user approval before the accessory can communicate with macOS for connections connected directly to the USB-C port.”
In other words, once USB Restricted Mode is enabled, when a user connects a new USB or Thunderbolt device to the Mac, the user will be prompted to approve the connection. If a Mac is locked, the user must unlock it before the accessory will be recognized by the computer again, in protection that kicks in again when the Mac goes to sleep after one hour.
Apple has explained that the new feature does not apply to power adapters, external monitors or USB hubs. In addition, it is limited to data transfer, so devices will continue to charge even if you choose “Do not allow the use of a connected accessory”.
The new protection lines up alongside the also upcoming feature of automatic device enrollment, which forces anyone trying to set up an enrolled Mac to participate in the enrollment process. This makes it much more difficult for unauthorized people to open a Mac in an attempt to obtain data that is not yours.
