Security and privacy , although they are two related concepts, are not the same thing. Security is about protecting a device from attacks , while privacy is about protecting your personal data from being leaked and exploited without your permission.
According to Jeffrey Paul ,a security researcher and ethical hacker, "Mac computers, by default, send a huge amount of data to Apple."
Specifically, Apple has created a system called Gatekeeperthat is designed to ensure that only safe software runs on Mac . It does this by sending data about the developers of the apps you use to Apple quite frequently. Its goal is to check that they are approved, well-known developers who have not released unwanted or malicious programs.
Unfortunately, the makers of Gatekeeper used standard internet protocols when implementing this security feature, which means sending data without encryption. Not only is the data sent unencrypted, but Gatekeeper also intentionally bypasses VPNs , or virtual private networks, which means you can't hide your activity even if you try.
It's hard to say how many users it affects, but it's likely over 100 million. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that there were more than 100 million active Macs worldwide at the end of 2018. All Mac owners running Mac OS X Catalina or later are using Gatekeeper, whether they know it or not.
The contents of the privacy leak aren't particularly personal. They don't include, for example, your name, passwords, credit card numbers, biometrics, or anything like that. But it's a constant observation of everyday activity that most users don't even know exists.
Apple quickly responded to Paul's concerns with both an explanation and policy changes.
“Gatekeeper performs online checks to verify whether an app contains known malware and whether the developer’s signing certificate has been revoked,” the company said. “We never combine data from these checks with information about Apple users or their devices. We do not use data from these checks to learn what individual users open or run on their devices.”
Additionally, Apple promised to launch a new encrypted protocol for developer certification checks and a new option for customers to opt out of these protections. The commitment to an option where Apple customers can choose to have the security of the apps running on their devices checked is a step toward freedom. Mac users will be able to use their computers like a Windows computer, choosing whichever apps they want. However, it is not entirely certain that such a practice will not compromise the security of the computer.
