Apple pushes first ever automated security update to Mac users

Apple pushes first ever automated security update to Mac users

Reuters:

Apple Inc has pushed out its first-ever automated security update to Macintosh computers to help defend against newly identified bugs that security researchers have warned could enable hackers to gain remote control of machines.

The company pushed out the software on Monday to fix critical security vulnerabilities in a component of its OS X operating system called the network time protocol, or NTP, according to Apple spokesman Bill Evans.NTP is used for synchronizing clocks on computer systems.

I saw the notification pop up on my iMac earlier this evening. I tried to click on it but it disappeared quickly. Not knowing what exactly it was, it gave me a strange feeling.

Ultimately, I’m fine with Apple doing this if it fixes a critical security issue. However, I think Apple should accompany the release with a blog post (or better yet, something in the Mac App Store’s “Updates” screen) that details what the update is, including what it does and does not do.