Apple’s MacOS Sequoia Update Is Out And Disrupting Cybersecurity Tools

Apple on Sept. 16 released macOS Sequoia, its latest desktop operating system update. However, the software update has reportedly disrupted the functionality of security tools created by providers such as CrowdStrike, Microsoft and SentinelOne, among others, according to social media posts and messages in a Mac-focused Slack channel, as reported by TechCrunch.

While it is unclear what's causing the problem, the OS update seems to have affected certain products made by companies that supply software for macOS users and enterprises, TechCrunch said in the report. Engineers and developers working on macOS security tools are particularly disconcerted about users blaming their tools for breaking their Macs post the OS update.

“As a developer of macOS security tools, it’s incredibly frustrating to time and time again have to deal with (understandably) upset users (understandably) blaming your tools for breaking their Macs, when in reality it was Apple’s fault all along,” said Patrick Wardle, the founder of Mac and iOS security startup DoubleYou.

While bugs and disruptions are quite normal with new software updates and patches, rigourous software testing and beta releases often help resolve them before go-to-market. But sometimes, changes made between the beta and the release, if untested, can cause disruptions post-launch.

A CrowdStrike sales engineer wrote in a Slack room for Mac administrators on the day of macOS Sequoia's release that the company had to postpone supporting the new OS, according to TechCrunch. The engineer added that other vendors were also facing similar problems, and even though a patch would have been ideal to resolve the issue, companies might have to fix it in code themselves.  

Additionally, a number of Reddit users reported experiencing problems with CrowdStrike's security product on the most recent macOS.

A few security researchers also mentioned they were experiencing problems with DNS and configuring firewall on Mac, adding that after updating to macOS Sequoia, the OS firewall may occasionally begin to block web browsing access.

According to the TechCrunch report, a different Reddit thread claimed that users of the Firefox browser were also experiencing problems as a result of macOS Sequoia.