14 DAY TRIAL // With the release of OS X 10.7.3 earlier this month, as well as a bunch of new APIs inside the newest public version of Xcode, Mac application developers can leverage a number of sandboxing elements that allow them to secure their software better.
Which is why Apple has officially extended the sandboxing deadline to June 1st. Previously, the deadline to secure Mac App Store software was March 1st. Apple’s announcement reads:
Sandboxing Deadline Extended to June 1 Feb 21, 2012
We have extended the deadline for sandboxing your apps on the Mac App Store from March 1st to June 1st to provide you with enough time to take advantage of new sandboxing entitlements available in OS X 10.7.3 and new APIs in Xcode 4.3. Get more details about sandboxing your app and find answers to FAQs. Learn more.
Those who click on the “learn more” link are taken to Apple’s Developer site where they must log in with their Apple ID and password. To access that particular portion of the site, an Apple Developer license ($99 a year) is required.
Described in the simplest form possible, sandboxing is a security measure that keeps apps from affecting the entire operating system, should they be compromised.
The mechanism is used to execute untested code, or untrusted programs from unverified third-parties and web sites, and separates running programs from one another.
Apple itself explained last year that “Sandboxing your app is a great way to protect systems and users by limiting the resources apps can access and making it more difficult for malicious software to compromise users' systems.”
Because of this requirement, some developers will have to eliminate and / or modify some of the features of their applications. Such apps are those that browse your file system, file syncing and backup utilities, iTunes controllers, and others.