Announcement: Addigy Releases Watchdog Utility Free to All MDMs

Last month we released our new MDM Watchdog Utility in response to our customers’ findings that Apple Rapid Security Response (RSR) updates are not being deployed in up to 25 percent of macOS devices within managed environments. Mac vulnerabilities are showing up faster than ever and it’s imperative that MDM vendors understand the threat and how to protect people from being exposed, especially as Apple usage continues to grow in the enterprise.

Apple’s first-ever RSR update marked a crucial leap forward for CISOs, CSOs, CIOs, IT directors, and other IT administrators tasked with ensuring their networks always remain secure. However, our observations reveal that the mdmclient binary can get stuck after executing the OSUpdateScan command, leading to a breakdown in communication with MDM in as much as 25 percent of managed devices.

To remedy this, Addigy today is providing all MacAdmins universal access to our MDM Watchdog Utility as a free download–no matter what MDM provider you use. We want to ensure device security and reliability for all.

Our Watchdog Utility utilizes unified system logging to identify indicators of a hung service related to mdmclient, specifically the “is_mdm_client_stuck” and “is_mdm_softwareupdated_stuck” values. If any of these values indicate a stuck state, the utility will automatically perform remediation after conducting a device audit. By bouncing the necessary services, similar to a reboot, Watchdog automatically resolves the stuck state and restores communication with your MDM.

Watchdog has helped 100 percent of Addigy’s customers update after the recent RSR. To support the security and betterment of the entire Mac community, we’re making Watchdog available to everyone, regardless of which MDM vendor manages your environment. This free utility ensures the health and responsiveness of the macOS MDM stack on all Apple devices, allowing for seamless device management and continuous updates. We understand MDM commands’ and frameworks’ critical role in effective device management.

With Watchdog Utility, you can be sure that ALL of your macOS devices stay responsive and fully utilize the capabilities of your chosen MDM solution. Addigy’s platform is built from deep Apple knowledge and according to our core values of being humble, hungry and curious, and we’re here to help the greater Mac Admin community. By extending the Watchdog Utility free to all, we’re ‘walking the talk’ and look forward to supporting and working with anyone interested in growing the Mac ecosystem.