JAMF in Informatics: some details

This page explains what JAMF does and doesn't do on the School's Supported Macs, and why.

The School's Computing Strategy Group agreed in early 2022 that JAMF would be mandatory on all of the School's new Apple Macs.

JAMF is used for device management. It ensures that security updates are applied, that software remains up to date, and that Macs align with School and University policies. It also makes it possible for a Mac to be reused once it's been handed back to Computing Support.

It does not give Information Services (IS) or Informatics Computing staff access to your files.

Software

JAMF adds a University “App store” which provides an easy way to:

• install common University and open-source software - e.g. MS Office, Emacs, LibreOffice, MacTeX;
• configure against University services - e.g. VPN, printers, DataStore;
• add configuration for School specific services - e.g. AFS, OpenVPN.

macOS updates

JAMF does not force these immediately, except for critical security updates. Updates can be delayed or scheduled for a convenient time.

New major versions of macOS are not made available immediately, as the University must first test them for compatibility with its systems.

Accounts on your Mac

Your own account on your Mac has Administrator rights, so you can install software and set up your Mac as you prefer.
JAMF-managed Macs have two additional accounts:

• The UoEmanage account is installed by JAMF. It's used for automated management tasks. Nobody can use it to log in, because its password is randomised, and it doesn't allow remote logins anyway.
• The Infsupport account is for the School's User Support team. They will use it to reset the Mac once you've finished with it and returned it to them. It does not permit remote access, so User Support can only log in when physically present.

Security

The University has set itself IT security standards, and JAMF helps a Mac to meet these:

• It ensures that FileVault encryption is turned on, and it keeps a record of the encryption keys.
• Anti-virus checks are run regularly. This is done using Microsoft Defender. There has been concern that this may slow the Mac down, but we have had no reports of significant slowdowns.
• The macOS version is reported to the College’s OCSng software inventory system. This lets the School see which versions of macOS are in use across the School, and flags up systems running unsupported macOS versions.

If you have questions, please do contact Computing Support.