14 DAY TRIAL // There’s an added layer of security in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple has confirmed. It’s called Gatekeeper and it lets you turn the faucet on and off on some restrictions, leaving just enough control into your hands, but securing your system at the same time.
With every OS X iteration comes an added security enhancement.
Malware has never been much of a problem on the Mac, but with the platform’s growing market-share, Apple expects more cyber criminals to target its users.
So the Cupertino, California-based tech giant decided to introduce this new feature called Gatekeeper in the next major release of its desktop operating system - OS X Mountain Lion.
Gatekeeper, as the company itself explains, “helps prevent you from unknowingly downloading and installing malicious software. And it gives you control over which applications to download and run on your Mac.”
Users can choose from three security options that enable them to download and run applications from anywhere; download and run apps from the Mac App Store and apps with a Developer ID; or download and run only apps from the Mac App Store.
The third option is “the safest setting of all,” Apple claims. “Gatekeeper lets you decide which setting is best for you,” says the Mac maker.
Gatekeeper is already available for code-savvy people to test in OS X 10.7.3 Lion - the current public version of Mac OS X.
Gatekeeper relies on digital signatures to verify that an application comes from a trusted developer with a valid Developer ID.
In order to confirm that the application hasn’t been tampered with, developers can create digital signatures by combining a secret key with a digital summary of the contents of the application.
“It’s all wrapped together in an encrypted file that becomes part of the app. Gatekeeper checks the encrypted file to make sure everything is OK,” Apple explains.
Here's apple summarizing the Developer ID program:
OS X Mountain Lion is scheduled to arrive late this summer. For more coverage on the key features inside Apple’s latest cat, check with the related links below to see what piques your interest.