Apple Platform Deployment
- Welcome
- Intro to Apple Platform Deployment
- What’s new
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- Declarative status reports
- Declarative app configuration
- Accessibility declarative configuration
- Apple Intelligence declarative configuration
- App settings configuration
- Audio accessory declarative configuration
- Authentication credentials and identity asset declaration
- Background task management declarative
- Calendar declarative configuration
- Certificates declarative configuration
- Contacts declarative configuration
- Content caching declarative configuration
- DNS settings declarative configuration
- DNS proxy declarative configuration
- Exchange declarative configuration
- Extensible SSO declarative configuration
- External intelligence declarative configuration
- Google Accounts declarative configuration
- Keyboard declarative configuration
- LDAP declarative configuration
- Legacy interactive profile declarative configuration
- Legacy profile declarative configuration
- Mail declarative configuration
- Math and Calculator app declarative configuration
- Managed Migration Assistant declarative configuration
- Network relay declarative configuration
- Packages declarative configuration
- Passcode declarative configuration
- Passkey Attestation declarative configuration
- Safari bookmarks declarative configuration
- Safari browsing management declarative configuration
- Safari extensions management declarative configuration
- Screen Sharing declarative configuration
- Service configuration files declarative configuration
- Siri declarative configuration
- Software Update declarative configuration
- Software Update settings declarative configuration
- Storage management declarative configuration
- Subscribed Calendars declarative configuration
- Web content filter plugin declarative configuration
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- Accessibility payload settings
- Active Directory Certificate payload settings
- AirPlay payload settings
- AirPlay Security payload settings
- AirPrint payload settings
- App Lock payload settings
- Associated Domains payload settings
- Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME) payload settings
- Autonomous Single App Mode payload settings
- Calendar payload settings
- Cellular payload settings
- Cellular Private Network payload settings
- Certificate Preference payload settings
- Certificate Revocation payload settings
- Certificate Transparency payload settings
- Certificates payload settings
- Conference Room Display payload settings
- Contacts payload settings
- Content Caching payload settings
- Directory Service payload settings
- DNS Proxy payload settings
- DNS Settings payload settings
- Dock payload settings
- Domains payload settings
- Energy Saver payload settings
- Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) payload settings
- Exchange Web Services (EWS) payload settings
- Extensible Single Sign-on payload settings
- Extensible Single Sign-on Kerberos payload settings
- Extensions payload settings
- FileVault payload settings
- Finder payload settings
- Firewall payload settings
- Fonts payload settings
- Global HTTP Proxy payload settings
- Google Accounts payload settings
- Home Screen Layout payload settings
- Identification payload settings
- Identity Preference payload settings
- Kernel Extension Policy payload settings
- LDAP payload settings
- Lights Out Management payload settings
- Lock Screen Message payload settings
- Login Window payload settings
- Managed Login Items payload settings
- Mail payload settings
- Network Usage Rules payload settings
- Notifications payload settings
- Parental Controls payload settings
- Passcode payload settings
- Printing payload settings
- Privacy Preferences Policy Control payload settings
- Relay payload settings
- SCEP payload settings
- Security payload settings
- Setup Assistant payload settings
- Single Sign-on payload settings
- Smart Card payload settings
- Subscribed Calendars payload settings
- System Extensions payload settings
- System Migration payload settings
- Time Machine payload settings
- TV Remote payload settings
- Web Clips payload settings
- Web Content Filter payload settings
- Xsan payload settings
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- Glossary
- Document revision history
- Copyright and trademarks
Supported smart card functions on Mac
Overview
On a Mac with macOS 10.15 or later, built-in support is included for the following capabilities:
Authentication: Login window, PKINIT, SSH, Lock Screen, Safari, authorization dialogs, and third-party apps supporting CryptoTokenKit
Signing: Mail and third-party apps that support CryptoTokenKit
Encryption: Mail, Keychain Access, and third-party apps that support CryptoTokenKit
PIV card provisioning
To use smart cards with macOS, appropriate identities need to be populated into Slot 9a (PIV Authentication) and 9d (Key Management). Optionally, an identity should be provisioned into slot 9c (Digital Signing) if functions such as email or document signing are necessary. For more information, see the man page for SmartCardServices.
When using attribute matching (discussed below) with Active Directory, the NT Principal Name in the PIV Authentication identity and value stored in the Active Directory attribute dsAttrTypeStandard:AltSecurityIdentities needs to match with case sensitivity.
Authentication
Smart cards can be used for two-factor authentication. The two factors include “something-you-have” (the card) and “something-you-know” (the PIN) to unlock the card. A Mac with macOS 10.12.4 or later includes native support for smart card and login authentication, and client certificate-based authentication to websites using Safari. macOS also supports Kerberos authentication using key pairs (PKINIT) for Single Sign-on to Kerberos-supported services.
Note: For login, the Key Management key (9d) is used to unlock the encrypted volume and to unlock the user’s Keychain.
Digital signing and encryption
In the Mail app, the user can send messages that are digitally signed and encrypted. Usage of the feature requires a case-sensitive email address subject or subject alternative names on digital signing and encryption certificates which are on attached PIV tokens in compatible smart cards. If a configured email account matches an email address on a digital signing or encryption certificate on an attached PIV token, Mail automatically displays the email signing button in a new message toolbar. A locked lock icon indicates that the message is sent encrypted with the recipient’s public key.
Keychain wrapping
When used for login, a smart card can also be used to unlock the user’s login keychain using keychain password wrapping. This wraps the credential to unlock the user’s login keychain with the encryption key of the smart card.
The presence of an encryption key—also known as a key management key—is required for the keychain password wrapping feature to function. Lack of a key management key results in the user being repeatedly prompted for the login keychain password throughout the login session, creating a poor user experience. Additionally, this use of a password may be a concern in smart card mandatory environments. If a key management key is present when the user logs in with a smart card, the keychain experience is similar to password-based login in that the user isn’t prompted repeatedly for the login keychain password.
Smart card payload
Use the Smart card payload to configure smart card authentication using a device management service. Available configuration options include the ability to allow smart cards, enforce smart cards, allow one smart card pairing per user, certificate trust checking, and token removal action (to initiate the Lock Screen).
Note: To learn if the smart card payload is supported, consult your developer’s device management service documentation.