The new security features for Apple devices and the Jamf software

This JNUC session examined the new security features for Apple devices and the Jamf software.

October 20 2016 by

Security breaches are expensive and can cause great damage to an organization’s reputation. Jamf helps provide flexibility to empower an organization to mitigate risk while ensuring a positive user experience. In today’s session, Casper Suite Product Manager, Joe Bloom, talked about new security features for Apple devices and the Casper Suite (now Jamf Pro) software.

“We enable organizations to make the best use of Apple’s native security features and provide solutions to enhance the security of your macOS and iOS devices,” Bloom said. “In addition, we focus on security of the infrastructure surrounding Casper Suite.”

Bloom explained that by leveraging Jamf and native Apple technology, you can make environments more secure with enterprise-grade encryption, settings management and patching. “And it’s all possible without disrupting a great end-user experience,” he said. “If your organization is concerned about PCI compliance, HIPAA compliance or similar security standards, Jamf is poised to help mitigate that risk so you can meet the standards that apply to you.”

He added an important point worth keeping in mind. “It’s not just Jamf,” Bloom said, “It’s Jamf and Apple. Apple’s focus on security has continued by providing features such as Lost Mode, and functionality to define application layouts on the dock and home screen with show/hide capability.”

In addition to supporting these Apple features, Jamf has introduced Single Sign-On (SSO) for the macOS Self Service application and user-initiated enrollment of devices, released Patch Management capabilities to ensure that key software updates can be provided in a timely manner, and is focused on integrations such as certificate management and Cisco ISE.

Upcoming work on certificate management means an easier way to provide unique certificates to users and devices for activities like joining a Wi-Fi network or VPN. This removes the need for username and password, replacing it with a unique credential that provides access. With Cisco ISE, you can ensure that only compliant devices can access the network.

Jamf has also been introducing features to secure the infrastructure and access controls for Casper Suite and integrated components. Two primary examples are SSO for the Casper Suite login and an LDAP Proxy Server to handle secure communication between the Jamf Cloud deployments and an organization’s internal LDAP.

“Jamf views the security as the foundation for innovation,” Bloom said. “Without a secure environment, the benefits of technology are out of reach. Security is the starting point. To unlock the benefits of Casper Suite in the cloud, we needed to provide more security around access to the software (hence, SSO) and communication with internal LDAPs.”

Bloom then noted a number of resources that can help organizations understand Apple native security and methods for enhancing security for your users as well as securing Casper Suite itself. You can find more on https://www.jamf.com/security and by searching for “Security” on jamf.com.

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