macOS Sequoia update may break security tools

Apple on Monday rolled out the stable version of the macOS 15 update, also known as macOS Sequoia, to all users. However, the update appears to have introduced some unexpected issues for users, specifically surrounding third-party security tools. According to a report, the Cupertino-based security giant’s operating system (OS) breaks network-based security software from Microsoft, CrowdStrike and others. Since the security tool makers offer enterprise-grade tools, the update could put businesses that rely exclusively on Mac devices at risk. The root cause of the issue is currently unknown.

TechCrunch reports that the macOS Sequoia update affected the functionality of security tools developed by Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and other vendors. The publication cited a Mac-focused Slack channel where many users complained about the issue.

Gadgets 360 staffers also found multiple Reddit threads where users discovered that the security apps weren’t working after updating macOS. Some claimed that the lack of support for the security tools could be due to numerous glitches in the operating system.

One user said“Amazing that it’s not supported yet. Betas have been available for a while, dev builds even earlier – I assume they have a dev account. Unless something is really, really broken on Apple’s end – there’s no excuse.”

The biggest concern regarding this issue is that Mac devices are exclusively used by many organizations and security system issues can pose a major risk. According to the report, a CrowdStrike sales engineer mentioned in the aforementioned Slack room that the security tools are not supported despite the company’s best efforts on day one. It is unclear whether the tool is currently supported or not.

Another Reddit user claimed that the macOS Sequoia issues also affect apps outside of the security tools. The user found that nearly 90 percent of the apps had issues on the M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro. “Also experiencing the wifi issue, can’t access the internet at all even though I can connect to the phone’s hotspot[..]“If it’s still like this, I won’t be doing anything at work tomorrow,” he added.

Will Dormann, a security researcher, placed on Mastodon that he was having issues with DNS for several apps and that the firewall on his device wasn’t working properly. So far, Apple has not released a statement on when these issues will be resolved.