Tech
MacOS Sequoia Update: Why Some Organizations Are Advising Against Updating Devices
Topline
The new macOS Sequoia update was released Monday, but many users have reported cybersecurity issues as a result of Sequoia, leading to some organizations advising against installing the new update.
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Key Facts
Harvard Medical School’s IT department advised students and staff to not download the Sequoia update as it may cause potential disruptions, adding the department has to “confirm stability,” so users likely won’t be able to update devices until December or January.
West Virginia University also released a statement Tuesday urging its campus community to not install the update in order to “minimize the risk of compatibility issues” until the IT department can confirm it’s safe to use.
Southern Methodist University recommended students and faculty wait until the next macOS is released before updating university-owned devices because the school is “currently reviewing any potential conflicts with other University applications or fixes that might be needed.”
Notre Dame University said it’s testing to see whether Sequoia is compatible with school-owned devices, and advised against installing the update on any personal or university computers.
Old Dominion University asked faculty and students to not update their Macs to Sequoia until the school has “time to evaluate its compatibility with ODU software, network and server infrastructure,” adding it’d have a decision by January.
Queen’s University in Canada is also strongly discouraging users from upgrading to macOS Sequoia, as the update may “introduce bugs that affect critical applications.”
Forbes has reached out to Apple for comment.
What Cybersecurity Issues Are Users Facing With Sequoia?
Though the cause is unclear, Mac users who installed the new update are facing problems with third-party cybersecurity software, TechCrunch reports. Sequoia has reportedly broken the functionality of several security tools from companies including Microsoft, CrowdStrike, ESET and SentinelOne. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity platform Falcon is not supported by Sequoia—Forbes has reached out to CrowdStrike for comment. SentinelOne released an announcement saying MacBook Air 2018 and MacBook Air 2019 models running its cybersecurity software wouldn’t be compatible with the new update. ESET said the only devices having compatibility issues are those running ESET Cyber Security version six, which is an older version that “will be End of Life soon.”
Crucial Quote
Patrick Wardle, the founder of Mac and iOS security startup DoubleYou, expressed his frustrations about Apple customers thinking third-party security softwares are the cause of the issue behind the Sequoia update, suggesting they’ve been unfairly blamed for past issues, as well. “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,” Wardle told TechCrunch.
Further Reading
Apple’s new macOS Sequoia update is breaking some cybersecurity tools (TechCrunch)
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