If you aren’t making the jump to Apple’s just-released major upgrades for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, you can install these security updates instead.

Apple has released the initial versions of its 2024 operating systems—macOS 15 Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, tvOS 18, and HomePod Software 18. You might want to upgrade immediately, but Adam Engst recommends that most people wait at least a bit. Or even longer, for macOS.

What better day than Friday the 13th to check that your backups are actually working by restoring some critical files?

On the Chit Chat Across the Pond podcast, Adam Engst explains why the macOS 15 Sequoia beta’s monthly check-ins on screen recording permissions are not only unnecessary but actively harmful.

Seemingly in response to the strongly negative feedback that arose from the potential in macOS 15 Sequoia of having to approve permission for each of your apps that require screen recording permissions every single week and after restarts, Apple has changed to a monthly schedule and made the prompt text more specific. The repetitive prompts remain too frequent: they are still unnecessary and bad for security.

The relatively new Backblaze Restore app makes it much faster and easier to restore backed-up files to your Mac, but if your initial restore fails with a “Permission denied” error, here’s the solution.

macOS 15 Sequoia displays permissions prompts for apps that require screen recording permissions—more than just screenshot apps—at least once per week and after every restart or logout. Adam Engst explains why this is both unnecessary and counter-productive.

Apple’s latest updates address a problem that prevented users from turning Advanced Data Protection on or off. What other problems might they fix as well? Read on for details and our installation advice.

Apple has released updates to all its operating systems, saying only that they provide “important bug fixes and security updates” for everything other than macOS 14.6 Sonoma, which enables the M3 model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro to drive two external displays when the lid is closed.

By now, you’ve heard of the CrowdStrike update bug that wreaked havoc on Windows-based PCs around the world. It didn’t affect Macs, and it’s unlikely that something similar could. What about iPhones and iPads? Will the industry learn from this debacle or continue with business as usual?

Online backup service Backblaze will soon increase the fee it charges to restore data by shipping you a USB hard drive from $189 to $279. However, the change is largely moot since the company refunds the full amount when you return the drive.

Apple has updated a support document with helpful advice about how to identify and report social engineering attacks such as phishing messages, phony support calls, and more. Share it widely!

If you published a two-factor authentication app, wouldn’t you require authenticated requests to all endpoints?

Apple Intelligence, backed by the company’s Private Cloud Compute service, takes a new approach to generative AI which prioritizes user security, privacy, and safety. Cloud computing expert and TidBITS security editor Rich Mogull explains how this works, starting with the chips in our iPhones.

SMS text spam was driving David Shayer crazy, and with the US election season heating up, the problem was only getting worse. After trying various strategies, he managed to rein in the problem with Nomorobo.