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Additional macOS system security capabilities
macOS operates on a broader set of hardware (for example, Intel-based CPUs, Intel-based CPUs in combination with the Apple T2 Security Chip, and Apple silicon-based SoCs) and supports a range of general-purpose computing use cases. Whereas some users use only the basic preinstalled apps or those available from the App Store, others are kernel hackers who need to disable essentially all platform protections so they can run and test their executing code as with the highest levels of trust. Most fall somewhere between, and many of those have peripherals and software that require varying levels of access. Apple designed the macOS platform with an integrated approach to hardware, software, and services—a platform that provides security by design and makes it simple to configure, deploy, and manage but that retains the configurability that users expect. macOS also includes the key security technologies that an IT professional needs to help protect corporate data and integrate within secure enterprise networking environments.
The following capabilities support and help secure the varied needs of macOS users. They include:
Signed system volume security
System Integrity Protection
Trust caches
Protection for peripherals
Rosetta 2 (automatic translation) support and security for a Mac with Apple silicon
DMA support and protections
Kernel extension (kext) support and security
Option ROM support and security
UEFI firmware security for Intel-based Mac computers