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Apple Releases Critical Security Update for macOS High Sierra

• By: Garry Feldman
• Date: December 5, 2017

In June of 2017, Apple released High Sierra, the latest version of macOS. However, like every operating system, High Sierra was not without its bugs, including security issues that made it frighteningly easy for unauthorized users to take over devices on which High Sierra was installed.

Recently, Apple released a security update that addresses a major security flaw, meaning every business that uses Apple devices needs to be certain this latest update has been installed on their system. Read about the most recent macOS High Sierra security update and find out why it’s important your business network always has the latest security patches.

What the Patch Fixed

When a security flaw is found in an operating system, developers work as quickly as possible to release a patch. In the case of the recent macOS High Sierra security update, this patch couldn’t have come a moment too soon.

The security flaw in macOS High Sierra was extremely dangerous, allowing hackers or other cyber criminals to easily gain access to your system. Without the update installed, anyone has the ability to gain administrative access to Mac computers without the need to enter a correct password.

This security flaw threatens Mac computers that have the root user enabled. When the username/password prompt appears on High Sierra, typing ‘root’ in the username space, leaving the password field blank, and clicking the unlock button twice will provide full access to the unpatched Mac computer. Clearly, this is a major security flaw that puts your sensitive data at risk. If you leave your Mac computer unattended for even a moment and have not installed the update, anyone can steal and then gain access to your machine with no trouble.

If you run macOS High Sierra on your personal or business computer, it’s vital that you install this update as soon as possible.

Problems with the Security Update

Although it’s imperative that you install the High Sierra update that fixes the root user security flaw, it’s important that you understand that some people experience problems with file sharing after having installed the update.

After updating their computer, some Mac users have reported problems with authentication. There have also been issues reported related to connecting to file shares, which can be a problem when you use Mac computers in your business network. Fortunately, this issue is fairly easy to fix, and does not require installing an additional update.

To fix the authentication and file share issue, you need to open your Terminal app, type ‘sudo /usr/libexec/configureLocalKDC’, and press Enter. Then, simply type your admin password, press Enter, and then close the Terminal app. Completing this process should restore file share access and authentication.

Get Help with Security Update

If you want to fully protect your personal or business information from cyber criminals, it’s important that you install the latest security updates on your system. To get answers to your questions about the latest macOS High Sierra security update, or to get help developing a network security strategy, you should consult with the team at U.S. Computer Connection.

U.S. Computer Connection is your most dependable IT solution and our team is here to help you however we can.