Starting with OS X Mountain Lion, Apple introduced Gatekeeper so users couldn’t easily install downloaded apps from outside the Mac App Store.

When someone downloads an app from somewhere other than the Mac App Store they will get one of a few warning messages depending on what security settings they’ve set in System Preferences. We’ll show users how to set the security settings in Security & Privacy section of the OS X System Preferences using any version of OS X after Mountain Lion so they can install downloaded apps from outside the Mac App Store.

Why Can’t I Install 3rd-Party Apps By Default?

To turn the firewall on with only Mac OS X application exclusions, click Block All Incoming Connections — only the sharing services you select on the Sharing pane in System Preferences are allowed through your firewall.) This is a good choice for the most security-conscious MacBook owner, but your firewall will block third-party applications. The following table provides information and tips for entering advanced Exchange settings. Settings include options for changing port numbers, using SSL, downloading message headers, and setting server addresses. To access these settings, click Outlook Preferences Accounts, select the Exchange account, and then click Advanced. Customize your Mac with System Preferences. You can change system settings to customize your Mac. For example, you can change the size and location of the Dock, choose a light or dark appearance, change the desktop picture, and more. To change System Preferences on your Mac, click the System Preferences icon in the Dock or choose Apple menu System Preferences. Setting preferences. These new preference settings are CFPreferences API compatible and can be set using the defaults command in Terminal, or enforced through a Configuration Profile or Mobile Device Management (MDM) server. When the preferences are enforced, the user cannot change the values, and any in-app controls will appear disabled. Follow the steps below to configure preferences in your McAfee security software, such as LiveSafe or Total Protection, for Mac. Click the McAfee M icon on your menu bar, at the top of the screen.; Select (product name) Console.For example, McAfee LiveSafe Console. Click the gear icon at the top right to see the preferences in the Mac Security menu.

If you don’t care about why this works, skip to the next section. Here’s why Apple sets OS X to disallow 3rd-party apps by default, for those who like to understand why things work as they do.

Cynics will say that Apple does this because they don’t get a 30% cut from applications bought directly from third-party apps instead of their curated app store. A $10 app nets Apple $3 and the developer gets only $7. The developer gets the entire $10 if the app is sold directly.

Open System Preferences On Mac

Apple says they set things blocking third-party apps because they want to protect users who might install downloaded apps with malware or viruses. They take the 30% cut to cover the cost of hosting the Mac App Store and testing apps to keep malware out of the store. In other words, they want to help protect us from our own mistakes.

Apple offers three setting options in the Security & Privacy Settings in System Preferences. Apple set the default to help protect users from Malware or to lock down computers depending on which explanation you prefer.

Apple created Gatekeeper, a program to protect users from Malware. Developers can get a security certificate from Apple through the Apple Developer program. If a developer distributes their app on the Mac App Store, they have to follow certain guidelines to get approved. These guidelines try to keep malware out of the store. Developers can also add a security certificate to their apps. The certificate is some code inserted into the app code. Users can set their machines to allow third-party apps downloaded from the Internet, but only if they include one of these security certificates.

Find out how to change the settings below so you can install downloaded apps from trusted third-party websites. Don’t install apps from just any site because relaxing security settings could potentially open the door to malware and viruses.

How to Install Apps from Outside the Mac App Store

To install third-party apps, the user must change a setting in the Security & Privacy section of System Preferences, the Settings app in OS X.

Open OS X System Preferences by clicking on the app icon from OS X Dock or by clicking the Apple icon in the Menu Bar in the upper left corner of the screen. When the menu pops up, click on System Preferences.

Click on Security & Privacy from the top row of the System Preferences app. Choose the General tab to see the settings below.

There’s a lock icon at the bottom of the dialog box. Click it to enable all the settings in the box. The OS will ask the user to enter their administrator’s password. Click OK and the grayed out settings become clickable.

The settings we need to work with show up at the bottom half of the dialog box. There are three options under Allow apps downloaded from:. Here are the descriptions taken from Apple’s support site.

• Mac App Store – Only apps that came from the Mac App Store can open.
• Mac App Store and identified developers (default in OS X) – Only allow apps that came from the Mac App Store and developers using Gatekeeper can open.
• Anywhere – Allow applications to run regardless of their source on the Internet (default in OS X Lion v10.7.5); Gatekeeper is effectively turned off. Note: Developer ID-signed apps that have been inappropriately altered will not open, even with this option selected.

If the user chooses the first two options, they can close the dialog box and continue. However, if the user chooses Anywhere, the above warning pops up to scare the user from using this setting. It says:

Choosing “Anywhere” makes your Mac less secure.

The warning box explains that OS X resets this setting after 30 days. Users will have to come back here and do the above steps again. Further, it explains that it’s safer to let the OS warn you each time you launch an app, which includes an option to allow it by clicking an OK button if you select the middle option of the three.

Which Option Should You Choose?

Those who only install apps from the Mac App Store should not bother changing the default settings. Make sure to select the first option labelled Mac App Store and close the box. If you want to install and run any app you want and don’t worry at all about malware, then choose the third option labelled Anywhere. I use the second option since I can still install third-party apps, but they have to come from developers who take the time to add an Apple Developer security certificate to their app. These are safe, but can come from outside the Mac App Store.

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Whether you just pulled your brand new Mac computer out of the box or are looking for ways to make your system more secure in light of recent OS X threats and vulnerabilities, there are several default Mac security settings that are not in your best interest to keep. Here are just a few settings you should change if you want to make sure that your Mac is as secure as possible.Customize Your Password Settings: Entering your password every time you boot up your Mac or open your laptop can be an annoyance, but it helps keep your information safe in case your computer falls into the wrong hands. To change your password settings, launch your System Preferences menu, click “Security & Privacy.” In the first tab of the menu (“General”), you can customize password settings. Set a password, change your password to make it more secure, or tell your computer when to require a password. For the latter setting, locking your computer immediately after the screen goes to sleep is the smartest option—particularly if you travel a lot or use this computer at work.Turn on FileVault: Once you’re done changing your password settings, click over to the next tab in the Security & Privacy menu, “FileVault.” FileVault is Apple’s full-data encryption system. When FileVault is switched on, every file on your startup drive is encrypted and cannot be accessed or recovered without the password. When you turn on FileVault, you will be issued a recovery key to help you access your files if you should forget your password. As Apple warns in the FileVault menu, if you lose both the password and the recovery key, the files on your drive “will be lost.” In other words, be sure to save both password and recovery key in a safe place.

Change Security Preferences

Turn on Firewall: Next, head over to the third tab: “Firewall.” As with any firewall, turning on this setting will protect your computer by blocking unauthorized traffic from connecting to your system. Firewall isn’t antivirus software and won’t protect you from most malware, but it will keep your computer safer.Check for Operating System Updates: Apple keeps OS X pretty well updated—whether with small security updates to fix bugs or vulnerabilities, or with larger annual updates that change the look, feel, and features of OS X. For the best security possible, always update your Mac as soon as new OS X updates are released. To check for updates, click the Apple menu at the top left-hand corner of the screen and see if any updates are listed next to the “App Store” button. If the App Store says you have updates available, install them. This rule holds true for individual app updates, as well.Keeping these factors in mind is just the first chapter of protecting your Mac from threats. You should also invest in antivirus/antimalware software and try to stay away of the latest threats that are targeting the OS X operating system. However, taking the steps listed above is a good start on being a protected and conscientious Mac user.

Mac Your Security Preferences Allow