Apple on Tuesday once again encouraged Mac developers to have their apps notarized, which involves Apple scanning the apps for malware and other security issues.
Give users even more confidence in your software distributed outside the Mac App Store by submitting it to Apple to be notarized. When users on macOS Mojave first open a notarized app, installer package, or disk image, they’ll see a more streamlined Gatekeeper dialog and trust that it does not contain known malware. Starting spring of 2019, macOS Mojave will more prominently highlight notarization status. In an upcoming macOS release, Gatekeeper will require Developer ID–signed software to be notarized by Apple.
Apple doesn’t currently require notarization for apps distributed outside of the Mac App Store. However, the Cupertino firm tells devs that it will “more prominently highlight notarization status” starting in the spring of 2019. In a future, as yet unspecified macOS version, the firm will require any Developer ID-signed apps to be notarized.
Apple unveiled the macOS app notarization process at June’s WWDC. The security-related process is designed to provide an extra level of confidence in users for apps not being distributed through the Mac App Store. The process helps ensure that apps are free of malware, while also allowing Apple to shutdown a problematic app without revoking a Mac developer’s entire Developer ID.
(Via MacRumors)