Jamf - Experts & Thought Leaders

Jamf, the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, held a special Jamf Event to showcase several new offerings developed to help organisations maximise technology investments and meet important compliance needs. The live-streamed event, split into concurrently streamed commercial and education keynotes, showcased new and upcoming updates to Jamf’s Apple-first, Apple-best management and security platform. High compliance standards “At Jamf, we celebrate the ways that Apple devices are different, but also know they still need to meet the same high compliance standards as other devices used for work,” said Sam Johnson, Chief Customer Officer at Jamf. “This means IT admins are being asked to get more involved beyond traditional device management functions to help meet these various compliance standards across their Apple devices. Jamf is proud to deliver a platform that organisations trust and users love, and our approach to providing tools that help customers navigate the vast and varied compliance landscape is no exception.” Product updates highlighted during the Jamf Event Streamlined enforcement of compliance and security benchmarks The compliance dashboard in Jamf Protect sets a new standard for visualising device compliance status: Jamf Protect provides a new way of visualising compliance by CIS benchmarks across an entire fleet of devices Jamf added a customisable compliance dashboard to Jamf Protect providing a new way of visualising compliance by CIS benchmarks across an entire fleet of devices. The new dashboard allows Jamf admins to view an aggregate baseline score or “Fleet Hardening Score” as well as the ability to drill down into specific details to understand and remediate compliance issues within their device fleet. Compliance Editor with Jamf Pro for iOS and iPadOS removes ambiguity around enforcing compliance on mobile devices: Compliance Editor is the tool that generates deployable configuration files in Jamf Pro that allow organisations to meet CIS benchmarks. Jamf announced Compliance Editor is now available for iOS and iPadOS, ensuring consistent security benchmarks can be met across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. With Compliance Editor, it only takes admins a few clicks to generate hundreds of detailed configurations required to make endpoints compliant with a chosen benchmark. Jamf Routines in Jamf Pro make powerful self-healing workflows a reality: With Jamf Routines, admins can also specify when a re-deploy of the Jamf Management Framework Jamf announced Jamf Routines, which offers Jamf Pro customers new no-code automation and integrations to make IT teams more powerful and efficient. Now, admins can set up an integration between Jamf Pro and Slack or Microsoft Teams with automated alerts based on specific criteria such as when a device falls out of compliance. With Jamf Routines, admins can also specify when a re-deploy of the Jamf Management Framework may be required to get devices back into compliance, improving overall security and compliance posture. Privilege Elevation Jamf introduced Privilege Elevation, a new feature that leverages an organisation’s cloud identity provider and Jamf Connect to temporarily allow admin privileges for local macOS accounts to be granted conditionally based on valid user authentication and authorisation. During this period, through integration with Jamf Protect, Jamf will provide detailed telemetry about highly privileged tasks being performed on the device. This helps organisations audit endpoint activities while aiding with intrusion detection and response on macOS. App Version Control  Jamf highlighted new improvements made to App Installers with the recent introduction of App Version Control Jamf highlighted new improvements made to App Installers with the recent introduction of App Version Control. This update gives admins more authority over App Installers deployments allowing them to test a version on a small group of devices and then manually choose the version to deploy to computers in scope when they are ready. The ability to choose either automatic or manual updates to specify the version gives the admin control and flexibility over the App Installers titles in their environment, keeping users productive with the business-critical apps they need while remaining secure and up-to-date.  Innovate at the speed of Apple with support for modern devices Jamf recapped its recent announcement that support for Apple Vision Pro is available across the whole Jamf platform. With Jamf Pro, organisations can enroll and streamline the deployment of enterprise apps and settings for Apple Vision Pro. Jamf Connect allows users on Apple Vision Pro to securely access enterprise resources for any of the web and native apps that require secure, identity-based access controls. Jamf Protect extends the same device-wide mobile threat defence, network protection, and content filtering use cases used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to Apple Vision Pro to keep the device safe from threats. WatchOS management Jamf shows its commitment to simplifying Apple at work and giving end users the ability to be productive Jamf also announced support for watchOS management is coming later in 2024, including enrollment and inventory display. By enabling new device types, Jamf shows its commitment to simplifying Apple at work and giving end users the ability to be productive however they work best. Visibility is needed while maintaining student privacy For education customers, Jamf announced new privacy controls have been added to Jamf Safe Internet to provide two reporting options to admins: ‘full privacy’ and ‘balanced privacy’. By default, full privacy mode is enabled (meaning no Personal Identifiable Information is collected and reports stay aggregated and anonymised) but admins with appropriate permissions will able to toggle to balanced privacy mode. This reporting mode displays specific devices and usernames collected from Jamf Pro or Jamf School if they have been impacted by a security issue, enabling admins to quickly resolve issues without needing the full-visibility approach of traditional web proxies offered by other vendors.  Privacy posture in education “Determining the correct privacy posture in the educational technology landscape requires a careful equilibrium,” said Johnson.  “Striking the right balance means allowing IT admins flexibility to access certain identifying data to ensure the security of school-owned devices and networks without compromising individual privacy rights.”

Jamf, the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, kicked off its 14th annual Jamf Nation User Conference (JNUC) both virtually and in-person in Austin, Texas. Joined by key partners and customers including Apple, Google and Microsoft, Jamf shared with the largest gathering of Apple admins how its continuous product innovation is bringing together management and security into one integrated platform. Author's quote “Jamf’s industry-pioneering Apple management and security solutions, delivered as an integrated platform, help IT and security teams deliver an experience that is loved by users and trusted by organisations,” said John Strosahl, CEO of Jamf. Jamf’s Apple management and security solutions help IT and security teams deliver experience He adds, "We’ve said many times that when Apple innovates, Jamf celebrates. We are so confident in Apple’s continued success that we believe Apple will flip the market over the next decade and be the #1 end-user technology used in the enterprise - and Jamf is the #1 partner to help organisations succeed with managing and securing Apple.” JNUC theme This year’s JNUC theme focused on the power of AND. Jamf bridges the gap between what Apple provides and the enterprise needs. It’s bringing together management, identity and security required to be successful with Apple at Work.  It’s what Jamf calls Trusted Access and it’s an outcome organisations can achieve when they manage and secure their Mac and mobile devices with Jamf, regardless of if they are for a person or a purpose. JNUC 2023 Key highlights from JNUC 2023 include: Jamf announced the release of Jamf Pro 11, which introduces an entirely refreshed user interface Jamf announced the release of Jamf Pro 11, which introduces an entirely refreshed user interface that improves accessibility with colour changes, tab support for navigation elements, and improved screen reader behaviour and easy shortcuts to many of the most popular workflows. This new look will be extended to Jamf’s entire product portfolio in the future, providing the consistent experience that users expect. Jamf Pro 11 Jamf Pro 11 also supports Apple’s Declarative Device Management including new software update management workflows, which will allow admins in Jamf Cloud to schedule and enforce the latest software updates on managed devices by a specific date and time automatically. Apple announced they are further enhancing enrolment workflows with Account Driven Device Enrolment which will be supported in Jamf Pro 11 for macOS Sonoma and iOS 17. Additionally, Jamf Pro 11 includes a simplified and more transparent onboarding experience for end users that allows them to monitor app installation progress as they go about their work. Rapid Security Response updates Jamf announced the addition of a new compliance dashboard and vulnerability management to Jamf Protect. Admins can now see the overall compliance status of their environment at a glance. Jamf told the addition of a compliance dashboard and vulnerability control to Jamf Protect They are also able to easily see which apps and OS versions in their environment are impacted by known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), empowering them to make smarter decisions around access policies and patching priorities. Earlier this year, Jamf Pro added support for Rapid Security Response updates to provide admins with complete visibility and control over important security updates. Streamlined user enrolment and single sign-on Jamf and its identity partners are at the forefront of SSO Extensions. Earlier this year, Jamf introduced support for Enrolment SSO with Okta. In addition, Jamf was also first-to-market with support for Platform SSO with Okta. Enrolment SSO and Platform SSO workflows deliver a next-generation single sign-on experience across Mac and mobile devices. ZTNA incorporated into Jamf Connect Jamf has enhanced Jamf Connect’s IAM capabilities to include ZTNA to provide the least-privilege Since 2018, Jamf Connect has helped organisations bring cloud identity to the Mac. Now Jamf has enhanced Jamf Connect’s Identity and Access Management (IAM) capabilities to include Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to provide least-privilege and high-performance connectivity to cloud and on-premises data resources from macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android and Windows devices. This turn-key ZTNA solution leverages next-generation networking technology that is easy to deploy while providing welcomed user experience improvements for end users. Replacing legacy VPNs, this solution is efficient, reduces cost, and is far more secure through integrations with Jamf’s platform of products. Jamf Employee Badge Through a partnership Jamf unveiled at JNUC last year with SwiftConnect, Jamf has done away with physical access badges, allowing Jamf customers to badge into buildings with iPhone or Apple Watch. During the keynote, Jamf shared new enhancements to its Employee Badge offering that allows Jamf to send device risk signals or user events that will temporarily disable an employee badge until the device is back in full compliance. Jamf Employee Badge with Jamf Trust brings digital trusted access policies to the physical world, ensuring that only trusted users on secure devices are able to access buildings and offices. MITRE attack framework Jamf also shared its vision for how AI will continue to be integrated into its security products Jamf announced its new AI-powered support bot that will serve Jamf Nation, the largest community of Apple admins in the world. This new chat interface brings together Jamf’s online community, learning hub and technical documentation, so that Jamf admins will be able to ask it questions and receive answers to help resolve issues. Jamf also shared its vision for how AI will continue to be integrated into its security products. This new AI-powered functionality takes detailed raw telemetry and security alert data, applies the MITRE attack framework and summarises a friendly explanation along with recommendations for Jamf admins on how to remedy security issues. This exciting feature will be integrating within Jamf Solutions in the near future. Jamf Safe Internet Jamf announced a brand new user interface for both Jamf School and Jamf Teacher to add more efficiency and visibility to the console, something that is essential for teachers in busy classrooms. Additionally, Jamf is bringing its most requested feature from Jamf Pro, App Installers, to Jamf School to provide a more complete Mac management experience in the solution designed specifically for education. Jamf has rolled out on-device content filtering within Jamf Safe Internet for supervised iOS To further protect students and learning institutions, Jamf has rolled out on-device content filtering within Jamf Safe Internet for supervised iOS and iPadOS 16+ devices. This feature stops both inbound threats and unsafe outbound activity while ensuring greater privacy for students. Jamf is planning macOS support for on-device content filtering later this year. StateRamp Ready instances Jamf recently announced it is now delivering StateRamp Ready instances of Jamf School and Jamf Pro in the United States to give customers the confidence they need to comply with industry standards. StateRAMP is a critical cloud security assessment and authorisation programme designed to address the specific technology and compliance requirements of educational organisations and state and local governments.

Jamf announced that Jamf Safe Internet, a comprehensive content filtering and web security solution optimised for education, is available on Microsoft Windows. Jamf Safe Internet is designed to help schools protect students from harmful content on the internet, inappropriate websites and phishing attacks, while also allowing admins to enforce acceptable-use policies in a seamless way. Author's quote  “We at Jamf believe in keeping students, staff and education organisations safe regardless of the platform they are on. Whether you’re using Android, Google or Windows devices alongside your Apple fleet, protecting students on the Internet is critical,” said Suraj Mohandas, vice president of strategy, Jamf. He adds, “With Jamf Safe Internet’s best-in-class network threat prevention and a vast content-filtering database, optimised for education, students can now safely learn online from anywhere, regardless of what device they are using. We are excited about the continued partnership with Microsoft to help keep students safe.”  Empowering students while keeping them safe  Jamf Safe Internet ensures that students have a safe and secure online learning environment from the moment they unbox their devices. With Jamf Safe Internet, admins are able to enforce acceptable-use policies without sacrificing the learning experience by offering:  Content control in one click: Jamf Safe Internet allows teachers and IT admins to customise the level of content control that fits each class and can prevent harmful and inappropriate content from reaching student devices. This protection is powered by Jamf’s content filtering and web-based threat prevention technologies.  A continued commitment to protecting privacy: Jamf’s privacy-friendly approach provides a safe online environment for students of all ages while offering schools enough information to protect students. Jamf is committed to maintaining compliance with all applicable privacy regulations and has signed the student privacy pledge, highlighting its commitment to protecting the information of students.  Protection from increasing malware and phishing attacks: Beyond content filtering, Jamf Safe Internet also provides institutions with robust phishing and malware protection, safeguarding networks from increasingly sophisticated attacks that can impact student learning.  Blended learning opportunity Jamf Safe Internet works beyond the school network to protect students wherever they choose  With the increase in technology-focused learning also comes opportunities for students to learn anywhere, be that at home or just in new spaces around the school, creating a blended learning opportunity and increased independence. Jamf Safe Internet works beyond the school network to protect students wherever they choose to learn. “At a time when the safety and security of our students' online presence is one of our biggest priorities, we wanted to partner not only with a name we trusted but a philosophy that we could stand behind,” said Tom Foster, director of technology at St. Paul of the Cross schools. “Jamf has allowed our teams to easily and effectively manage and secure our devices as well as filter content in one place for half the cost of previous vendors.” Growing partnership with Microsoft  Jamf and Microsoft’s strong historical partnership has created solutions to enhance the management and security capabilities for organisations using both Apple and Microsoft technologies. This collaboration aims to empower IT and security teams to seamlessly integrate Mac, iPad and iPhone devices into Microsoft's ecosystem, providing a unified and streamlined experience. By combining Jamf's expertise in Apple device management and security with Microsoft's comprehensive suite of productivity and security tools, organisations can optimise their workflows, increase productivity and ensure a seamless user experience across both platforms.  Enhanced management and security for organisations with a Microsoft environment: Jamf Pro and Jamf Connect integrated with Azure Active Directory empower organisations to securely control device access and data security. By enforcing Microsoft conditional access policies on macOS, iOS and iPadOS devices, businesses can implement real-time remediation workflows to keep corporate data secure, regardless of where an employee and their device is located.  Seamlessly monitor and protect Apple devices through the Microsoft Sentinel platform: The integration between Jamf Protect and Microsoft Sentinel allows IT and security teams to monitor and respond to security events on their Apple fleet directly in the Microsoft Sentinel dashboard. A unified view of security events across all endpoints means faster response times and a stronger overall security posture.  Ensure company data is only accessed by trusted users on trusted devices: Microsoft Conditional Access with Jamf Pro enforces conditional access policies across all users' devices by combining the power of the unified endpoint management and conditional access in EMS with Jamf’s device management capabilities. Because these solutions integrate, IT can utilise the management power of each ecosystem with the simplicity of inventory reporting in a single pane of glass.  Involvement in MISA: As a result of security-focused integrations, Jamf was recently announced as a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA). MISA is an ecosystem of independent software vendors and managed security service providers that have integrated their security solutions with Microsoft. Jamf’s membership quickly expanded, recognising additional product integrations that, when combined, allow organisations to achieve trusted access with Jamf and Microsoft. This will allow for deeper collaboration and partnership, building innovative security solutions for customers with Apple environments.