Welcome to my blog
Join me on my journey as I share my insights and experiences on web development, business, and content creation.
Join me on my journey as I share my insights and experiences on web development, business, and content creation.
Series Part 1: Setting up SNIPE-IT with DietPi on a Raspberry Pi Part 2: Installing Docker & Portainer on DietPi for Snipe-IT Part 3: Securing Raspberry Pi with Reverse Proxy and or Cloudflare Proxy Tunnel Part 4: Setting up Snipe-IT on Portainer with DietPi Setting up SNIPE-IT with Portainer Ok so now that we have Portainer up and running, its running securely so now we are ready to setup SNIPE-IT. Here are the steps to add SNIPE via Portainer. The first step is logging into Portainer. Upon logging into Portainer...
TL;DR Mention the code JONBROWN when you ask for a demo or start a 30-day trial and enjoy 5% additional off your first year of annual service. What are you waiting for? Sign up for a trial or demo of Bravas.io today! True Secure ZERO Touch Enrollment with Bravas.io We all know that all MDM’s out there can handle ZERO Touch enrollment. At least any of them worth their salt. Bravas.io is great because it handles the concept of ZERO trust in a secure and somewhat different way than normally...
Xcodes Walkthrough and Review Xcodes is an amazing native application that you can use to switch back and forth between different versions of XCode on your Mac. Why would you need this? Some developers need to test beta versions of XCode and manually switching back and forth is a huge pain. You can only have one active version of XCode if your using the CLI and its hard to remember which one you left activated and which versions are actually installed. Thats where XCodes comes into play. Installation v1.X -...
TL;DR Mention the code JONBROWN when you ask for a demo or start a 30-day trial and enjoy 5% additional off your first year of annual service. What are you waiting for? Sign up for a trial or demo of Bravas.io today! Finally, real secure, onboarding and offboarding, made for the real world! Not just for technicians. So what is this new MDM, IDP, SSO and ZERO-Trust sensation thats sweeping the nation? Well, glad you asked its Bravas.io! Bravas.io aims bring bring all the best parts of the MDM experience,...
Series Part 1: Setting up SNIPE-IT with DietPi on a Raspberry Pi Part 2: Installing Docker & Portainer on DietPi for Snipe-IT Part 3: Securing Raspberry Pi with Reverse Proxy and or Cloudflare Proxy Tunnel Part 4: Setting up Snipe-IT on Portainer with DietPi Option #1: Reverse Proxy with NGINX-PROXY Ok so I’ve done a lot of research on reverse proxys and they are great at protecting your internal assets but there are some inherent security flaws that you have to live with if you want perfect security. Lets face...
Hancock: PSU MacAdmins Hackathon 2016 Winner! Back in 2016 Hancock was created at the MacAdmins PSU conference at the Hackathon and took the award for “Biggest Time Saver” thank you Jeremy Agostino for a great little utility!! I use this often and wanted to share this utility with my followers to share some of the tools that I use on the regular with my Mac followers. If you found this tool useful please follow Jeremy Agostino here. Citation: https://github.com/JeremyAgost/Hancock Hancock is a GUI tool for signing packages and mobileconfig files....
What is Expect? Expect is an extension to the Tcl scripting language written by Don Libes. The program automates interactions with programs that expose a text terminal interface. Expect, originally written in 1990 for the Unix platform, has since become available for Microsoft Windows and other systems. [Wikipedia] Don Libes is a computer scientist at NIST performing computer science research on interoperability. I just think its cool to call out and connect creators of tools that we see and use today and I encourage you to connect with him on...
What is Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is the convergence of people, processes and technology that come together to protect organizations. Notice that technology is the last part here. People, that’s you and I. We’re first. Without us, there is no cybersecurity. We are the first line of defense. We tend to forget that. I don’t why we forget that but as systems administrators we do. Processes, cybersecurity is 99% documentation, writing, that’s what it is, if you do not like writing policies and procedures, and enforcing them and potentially making enemies with...
Series Part 1: Setting up SNIPE-IT with DietPi on a Raspberry Pi Part 2: Installing Docker & Portainer on DietPi for Snipe-IT Part 3: Securing Raspberry Pi with Reverse Proxy and or Cloudflare Proxy Tunnel Part 4: Setting up Snipe-IT on Portainer with DietPi Installing Docker, Portainer and SSL At this stage were assuming your still connected to the Raspberry Pi via a monitor. If you’re already SSH’d into the machine great your one step ahead. Now that we have the Rasberry Pi setup we need to set up Docker....
Platypus: Build your own Mac Apps with Scripts! Platypus is an amazing Mac Admins utility that allows you to take virtually any script and convert it into a GUI Application. Lets take a look at what it is and what it can do. Ok so the first thing we need is a scrip to get started with so lets start with a script that I wrote to determine if Google Drive is running. As you can see this simple script just checks to see if its running and returns a...
Series Part 1: Setting up SNIPE-IT with DietPi on a Raspberry Pi Part 2: Installing Docker & Portainer on DietPi for Snipe-IT Part 3: Securing Raspberry Pi with Reverse Proxy and or Cloudflare Proxy Tunnel Part 4: Setting up Snipe-IT on Portainer with DietPi How to setup Rasberry Pi The first step in setting up SNIPE-IT is to setup the platform that it will run on. Luckily the best platform and most economical is a Rasberry Pi. We are using a Rasberry Pi 3 in this case. Before we get...
Show Me Your ID! Show me Your ID v 3.0 a great utility that allows you to as stated on the website “This app will provide you with the Bundle ID, Team ID, and the full code for an application by dragging the application to the Show Me Your ID 3.0 window. You have the option of saving the applications logo to your Desktop. This can be helpful when configuring items in Jamf Self Service as it provides a look and feels similar to the Mac App Store.” I use...
SD Notary 2 SD Notary 2 by Late Night Software developed by Shane Stanley is an amazing tool that has saved me hours in manual time notarizing applications, packages and DMG files and has been an essential part of my Mac Admin’s toolkit. https://latenightsw.com/sd-notary-2-released/ The Mac Admins community is a really unique community. We’re comprised of a great community of givers, and that was on full display at the 2024 Mac Admins Conference at Penn State University. It was at the Live recording of the Mac Admins Podcast when Tom...
We all need a hobby, a thing to do as we unwind from a long and sometimes stressful day. Come join me as I rediscover something that I used to do many years ago but never completed and hope to do, create my own font face. In this series I am using the tool https://glyphsapp.com/buy and toggling back and forth between this tool and https://fontforge.org/en-US/ and creating my own font face discovering and sharing technique’s along the way. The letter K: I this video we’ve already made it up to...
In the vast landscape of macOS utilities, finding a tool that seamlessly manages application uninstallations while ensuring no residual files clutter your system is invaluable. AppCleaner, developed by FreeMacSoft, emerges as a standout solution, providing users with an intuitive interface and powerful features that extend far beyond ordinary uninstallers. Exploring AppCleaner’s Features: User-Friendly Interface: AppCleaner greets users with a clean and intuitive interface, simplifying the process of app removal. Comprehensive File Removal: Unlike basic uninstallers, AppCleaner digs deep, removing not only the application but also associated preferences, settings, cookies, and...
In an era where cybersecurity is paramount, staying ahead of the curve is essential. For the macOS community, NIST’s Security and Compliance Project have opened doors to a new realm of possibilities. In our recent video, we delved deep into this groundbreaking initiative, uncovering the secrets to bolstering macOS security with tailored compliance frameworks. Understanding NIST’s macOS Security and Compliance Project: NIST, known for its expertise in setting security standards, has extended its guidance to the Mac community. The project provides comprehensive insights into hardening macOS systems, ensuring organizations adhere...
In today’s tech-driven world, virtualization has become indispensable. Join me in exploring UTM, a powerful virtualization tool for Mac, and CrystalFetch, its seamless companion for downloading OS files. This comprehensive walkthrough guides you through setting up Windows 11 and Mac OS virtual machines, providing a glimpse into the future of computing. Key Takeaways: UTM Unleashed: Discover the versatility of UTM, simplifying virtual machine creation and management on Mac computers. Windows 11 in Action: Witness the step-by-step setup of a Windows 11 virtual machine, showcasing the synergy between UTM and CrystalFetch....
In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. With Apple’s introduction of the Notarization Tool, developers now have a powerful new ally in ensuring the security and integrity of their applications. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of notarizing packages and signing them using this groundbreaking tool, ensuring your applications are compliant and ready for the future. Understanding the Transition The first step in this journey is understanding the transition from the AL tool to the Notary Tool. We...
In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, efficient management of browser preferences is paramount for IT professionals. Chrome, being a widely used browser, often demands tailored configurations to meet organizational needs. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the process of managing Chrome preferences using Mobileconfig files, MDM, and open-source tools. By the end of this journey, you’ll have a profound understanding of how to streamline Chrome settings effortlessly across multiple devices. Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems. Familiarity with macOS terminal and Python. Tools and Resources:...
Hello, tech enthusiasts! Today, we embark on a journey into the world of Mac software deployment using the powerful Packages app. Whether you’re a seasoned Mac admin or a budding developer, understanding the nuances of software deployment is crucial. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring you grasp every detail. Let’s dive in! Step 1: Introduction to Packages App First things first, familiarize yourself with the Packages app. It’s a versatile tool that simplifies software distribution on Mac devices. If you haven’t...
In today’s tech-driven world, application security is paramount. For macOS developers, understanding the nuances of Package Signing & Notarization is essential. Whether you’re a seasoned coder or a curious tech enthusiast, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the intricacies of ensuring your applications are secure, trusted, and ready for distribution. Why Package Signing & Notarization Matter: When users download an application, they expect it to be safe and free from malicious intent. Apple’s Package Signing & Notarization processes guarantee this safety. Notarization is more than just signing; it’s a...
Hey everybody! In today’s video, I’m excited to introduce you to one of my favorite Apple binary applications - Hear. Hear is an incredible program that allows you to transcribe text using the dictation feature directly from Terminal or convert audio and movie files into text. It utilizes the built-in dictation feature of Mac OS, making transcription tasks easier than ever before. 🔧 How to Use Hear: Enable Dictation: Before you install Hear, ensure that dictation is enabled on your Mac. Check your system settings under keyboard preferences to turn...
In today’s tutorial, we’ll delve into the essential process of signing mobile configuration files, a crucial step in ensuring the security and integrity of your configurations. Before we dive in, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place: a mobile config file that needs signing, Xcode installed, and an active developer account associated with your Apple ID. Getting Started: Setting Up Xcode and Certificates Launch Xcode and sign in with your Apple ID under Xcode settings. Create new certificates by managing your certificates in Xcode. Generate development and distribution...
Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to a groundbreaking macOS utility that is reshaping the landscape of Mac administration: MIST. This powerful open-source tool is designed to simplify macOS management tasks, offering an unprecedented level of efficiency and flexibility. In this deep dive, I’ll walk you through the intricacies of MIST, providing insights into how it works, where to get it, and how to harness its full potential. Understanding MIST: MIST, short for the MacOS Install Super Tool, is a versatile utility created by the talented developer Nindi Gill....
What is a pentest and why should I have it performed? Organizations are faced with the increasing scrutiny of more complex and sophisticated attacks by threat actors against key information systems that are essential to the organization. Complex attacks such as ransomware and data exfiltration are being used against organizations or systems that they encounter or somehow get access to. When an attacker wants to break into a system, they will typically choose the easiest and most direct methods in means in order to access it. The problem is an...
Cybersecurity Threats and Talent Shortage Cybersecurity risks and threats are issues that all organizations, large and small, must deal with. Whether the issues are information security program related or a technical challenge, organizations need to have the personnel resources to solve the cybersecurity issues as aligned to the business requirements set forth. In an ever-growing cloud-based services industry, information security risk is never greater. Cyberattacks are growing in impact and frequency. Not a week passes without a headline of another cybersecurity attack such as a data breach or a ransomware...
Why is a cybersecurity training so important? Security awareness training is one of the most critical and important security requirements for any size organization to consider implementing within their environment. Arguably, the greatest risk faced by any organization is the danger of insider threat as employees are can be considered a weak link in the chain as they are susceptible to curiosity, greed, envy, etc. To further increase risk, employees may be faced with the threat of social engineering attacks including phishing, baiting, spear phishing, tailgating, scareware, pretexting, quid pro...
Why is a risk assessment so important? A cyber security risk assessment is a critical activity performed on your company’s security policy procedures and infrastructure to reveal potential threats to key corporate assets and vulnerabilities in your current security controls as implemented. What is the goal of a risk assessment? The goal of a security risk assessment is to define the appropriate safeguards that your company will need to implement in order to align to your company’s risk assessment objective, profile, and priorities. An organization faces many types of threats...
What is the CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model), and what does it mean for you? The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) latest cybersecurity program designed to ensure that cybersecurity controls and processes adequately protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) that resides on Defense Industrial Base (DIB) systems and networks. The DIB consists of all suppliers of DOD related services including primes/subs/consultants that provide any type of service on a DOD related contract. The DoD implemented requirements for safeguarding CUI information and cyber incidents through the release...
Since iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 Mojave, Apple has supported Group FaceTime, which lets you have a video call with up to 32 people. However, as has become painfully obvious in today’s era of non-stop videoconferencing, Group FaceTime has a feature that some find obnoxious: automatic speaking prominence that causes the video tile for the speaker to grow and move around. Happily, Apple finally took the feedback and added options to disable that feature in iOS 13.5, iPadOS 13.5, and macOS 10.15.5 Catalina. In iOS and iPadOS, disable the Speaking...
If you have access to multiple printers, you probably know that you can choose one from the Printer pop-up menu at the top of the Print dialog. But macOS has a feature that should make it so you don’t have to switch printers manually as often. Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, and look at the bottom of the Print view. The Default Printer pop-up menu lists all your installed printers, plus an option for Last Printer Used. That last one makes sense if you print a number of...
This isn’t about periscopes or mouthwash—when it comes to searching, a scope is the area in which a search takes place. When you use the Search field in a Finder window to look for files and folders, you have the choice of two scopes: This Mac or the current folder. You can always switch the scope after starting the search by clicking the other choice near the top of the window, but it’s easier to set the default search scope in Finder > Preferences > Advanced so it’s set right...
The Covid-19 (coronavirus) contact tracing API from Apple & Google has yet to be adopted across the board with countries opting to produce their own systems. However, some countries such as Switzerland are now switching from their own system to the contact tracing API, with other countries such as Portugal & Ireland choosing to adopt the solution from Apple & Google. With Austria and Switzerland announcing they will be switching to it Countries across the globe that have managed to control the rate of infection are looking for contact tracing apps...
Tired of typing your admin account password whenever you try to install software or change security settings on your Mac? A new feature in macOS 10.15 Catalina removes that requirement for Apple Watch owners. In System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, select the checkbox for “Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.” Then, whenever an app asks for your account credentials, you can instead just double-press the side button on your Apple Watch. Of course, if you forgot to wear it or its battery has...
Tuesday 26th of May, Cupertino stated the bug in Family Sharing that caused apps not to open has been fixed. The bug would cause your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to show a message stating: “This app is no longer shared with you”, and requesting that you purchase the app yourself from the App Store. This is despite the fact the app is still paid for and being shared via the family sharing feature. The error affected many apps, including Facebook, Audible, & WhatsApp. The issue first surfaced in May with...
When you’re writing a blog post or email newsletter, you’ll eventually hit the question of how to capitalize words in a title. There is no one right way, but just as with poor spelling and grammar, randomly capitalized titles can reduce reader trust in your knowledge, competence, and expertise. The trick is to pick a capitalization form and style guide to follow. There are two capitalization forms: title case (where important words are capitalized) and sentence case (which is capitalized like a normal sentence). Then there are a handful of...
If you’re plugging your iPhone in regularly but getting low-battery warnings when you shouldn’t, consider the possibility that something is preventing your iPhone from charging successfully while plugged in. If there’s no lightning bolt badge on the battery icon when the iPhone is plugged in, that’s a sure sign that no power is reaching the device. Another hint that failures could be happening intermittently would be a lack of charging in the Last Charge Level graph in Settings > Battery when you know the iPhone was plugged in. Luckily, the...
If like me Apple’s move from the original 30-pin port in 2012 to the Lightning ports you saw this as a positive move, the Lightning connector being a much more user-friendly connector. Next they took away the home button and the headphone socket, the home button going in favour of a larger screen was no real hardship once you learnt the new interface. However losing the headphone jack was a real annoyance for some people, as a compromise Apple provided a free lightning headphone set with new iPhones, sadly this...
Sharing your location works well when you’re out with friends or family and want everyone to be able to see where everyone else is. It’s easy to enable in various spots in iOS 13—in Messages, in Contacts, in the Find My app, and so on. You can share your location for an hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely, but beware of this final option. If you’re with a group for a weeklong trip, for instance, sharing indefinitely makes sense, but it’s easy to forget to turn it...
Video Blog We work with lots of businesses, all Mac based businesses. The biggest point of confusion for many Mac based small businesses is to understand all the business offerings that Apple has to offer. Apple has many offerings for Apple businesses. From where to buy and how to buy *(Apple Retail vs Apple Resellers). From purchasing and pricing options *(Apple Card vs Leasing). As well as its own support offerings *(Applecare, Apple Store & Joint Venture) the path forward for many businesses is not always clear and with so...
When you’re in the Finder, choosing File > New Finder Window does, as you’d expect, open a new Finder window. But what folder appears in that window? By default, new Finder windows open to Recents, which is a built-in smart folder showing recently opened documents. If you’d prefer to see items in a fixed location on your drive, go to Finder > Preferences > General and choose any location from the New Finder Windows Show pop-up menu. We’re partial to Desktop or Documents, but you can choose whatever folder makes...
Top Tips on Working From Home Securely The necessity of working from home is becoming a reality for many workforce members that may not have had this access before. While remote working offers many benefits to employees, many more risks appear as cybercriminals prey on the lax security protocols of the remote worker. It is critical that we as employees treat this access as a privilige, making security our top concern. Your organizations remote access policy will layout the requirements you should be adhering to during remote sessions. If your...
The threat of the Novel Coronairus has recently been a top concern worldwide. With many conspiracy theories, disinformation or just general curiosity many citizens are looking for more information on the outbreak from a trusted source. Cybercriminals are aware in the interest in these subjects and are crafting malicious emails designed to infect your computer or steal information. This means trying to get information on a virus could lead to a virus on your computer. In this recent scam people are impersonating the World Health Organization (WHO), a trusted name...
The COVID-19 crisis has forced many organizations and businesses to work from home. Are you aware of the cybersecurity risks to your business with your employees working remotely? As we shift to working from home you’re business has to face new challenges. Verifying the legitimacy of a potential phishing email is not as easy as it once was with new techniques being deployed daily. How are your computers being managed? Is your data safe? Have you talked about cybersecurity with your staff? COVID-19 is not going away any time soon,...
Its really sad that we live in a time when scammers are still so active in the face of such hardship and adversity, however it is the environment where people are the most vulnerable. We have seen an uptick in emails and calls to individuals and businesses scamming or trying to scam people out of their stimulus monies, and trying to defraud people by posing as banks asking for sensitive information for Paycheck Protection Loans. The Federal Government nor Banks will call to solicit or entice you into giving you...
Join me on my journey as I set out to help aspiring entrepreneurs take that critical first step.