Create a Device Level macOS Gatekeeper Control Policy

Gatekeeper technology and runtime protection ensures that only trusted software runs on a user’s macOS device. 

Gatekeeper verifies that software, plug-ins, and installer packages that users download outside of the Apple App Store are safe to use. Gatekeeper also verifies that downloads originate from identified developers, the downloads have not been altered or contain malicious content, and user approval is requested before the software is opened for the first time. 

When the Gatekeeper Control policy is applied to a device, it controls which applications are allowed to install and run based on selected options, such as only allowing downloads from the App Store’s identified developers.

Prerequisites

• Apple Mobile Device Management (MDM) must be configured for your organization and Mac computers must be enrolled in JumpCloud MDM. See Set up Apple MDM. 
• This policy is supported on Mac computers running macOS 11 and later.
• Devices must have an active network connection for this policy to take effect.

Considerations

• The policy configuration settings are applied automatically and do not require a system restart.

Creating the Policy

To create a Gatekeeper Control policy for Mac computers, do the following:

Selecting the Policy Template

1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin portal.

2. Go to Device Management > Policy Management. The Policy Management page is displayed.
3. On the Policy Management page, click +Add New.
4. Select Device Policy to assign the policy to devices and device groups. On the New Device Policy page:
   • Select the macOS tab.
   • Search and select the required policy and click Configure. The Details tab of the policy is displayed.
   • On the Details tab, configure the required policy configuration settings.
   • (Optional) In the Policy Name field, enter a new name for the policy or keep the default. Policy names must be unique.
   • (Optional) In the Policy Notes field, enter details such as creation date of the policy, and information on testing and deployment of the policy.

Configuring the Policy

• Under Settings, select Enable Gatekeeper Control to allow the user to download and install apps from the App Store.
• Select Allow Apps From Identified Developers to allow apps from identified developers who sign their applications with Apple credentials.
• Select Disable Gatekeeper Override to prevent a user from overriding the Gatekeeper control by opening apps with the context menu in Finder.

Applying the Policy

• (Optional) Select the Policy Groups tab. Select one or more policy groups where you want to add this policy. 
• Select the Device Groups tab. Select one or more device groups where you want to apply this policy. For device groups with multiple OS member types, the policy only applies when a user logs into a supported Mac computer that is enrolled in Apple MDM.
• Or, select the Devices tab. Select one or more devices whom you want to add this policy to.
• Click Create Policy. A success message is displayed indicating the completion of policy creation.

Viewing Policy Status

1. Select the Status tab.
2. To see the last Result Log for a device where this policy is applied, click view.