Purpose

The MacOS Update banner is a method that the vendor uses to notify an individual that the system requires updates to stay secure and address software errors and bugs. This banner can be easily dismissed or ignored, leading to systems becoming quickly out of date, diminishing functionality and creating potential security risks. We are implementing the following visual changes to the MacOS software update banner to validate the authenticity of the update request and improve notifications for the importance of performing timely updates.

Update Details

We have designed the notifications to facilitate the installation of important software updates while minimizing disruption to your work and teaching.

The notifications are interactive, with an “Update Device” button provided to open System Settings (or the Self Service application as appropriate) so you can more easily install the updates offered. There are also options that allow you to defer additional notifications to a later time: one hour, one day, or a custom time. However, to assure good security practices, there is a “due date” for updates, typically 7 to 10 days after the first notification, after which the notification will appear hourly.

We will not update or reboot faculty and staff computers automatically. We want faculty and staff to decide when to apply important software updates while promoting good security practices by discouraging unnecessary delays. We recommend utilizing the Custom deferral field to set up a specific date and time for the update that best fits into your schedule.

Roll Out Time Frame

We will begin rolling this functionality out during the summer of 2024 after a pilot of the process.

Example

The OS update notification pop-up window will look like this