...

[unrigestered]

hi,

anyone know what'd happen if i kept a MacOS installation image (let's just say hypothetically 12.6.8) and did a clean install with that in 10, or 20 years (provided my system is still functional)

will the anti malware definitions, that were current at the release of 12.6.8, be installed along?
or will those definitions be even older than that, as those definitions were always separated from the OS download files?

 

[wchanley]

The existing malware definitions in 12.6 are probably what's getting installed, but Apple updates XProtect automatically, even if you don't install other security updates, so I'm relatively sure malware definitions would get updated essentially as soon as you had an internet connection. (Probably not right away, but soon enough.)

Apple monitors for new malware infections and strains, and updates signatures automatically—independent from system updates—to help defend a Mac from malware infections.

Protecting against malware in macOS

On devices with macOS, malware defenses are structured using the followingApp Store, or Gatekeeper combined with Notarization, and XProtect.

support.apple.com

 

[unrigestered]

censorship

 

[wchanley]

but what will happen in "20 years"?

Well, as ever, that gets harder to predict. Twenty year old Macs running MacOS 9 or early versions of OS X have expired security certificates, and it's difficult to get browsers that can work with the modern web, so you'd probably run into many of the same problems.

You may not have a problem with system level malware that XProtect protects against, but you'll be running an un-security patched system, likely using older software (browsers, etc.) that are no longer supported, and that are themselves no longer getting updates.

So, sure, I'm probably not going to need to worry about a trojan hiding somewhere on my Mac, but if whatever older version of Safari (or etc.) that I'm using has serious security problems itself, there probably isn't going to be an applicable fix for a Mac running macOS versions that old.

Monterey will surely not get any further malware definitions at that point

If I'm reading Apple's malware security page correctly, I don't think that's the problem. XProtect is its own thing, independent of whatever else you're using.

 

[KaliYoni]

hi,

anyone know what'd happen if i kept a MacOS installation image (let's just say hypothetically 12.6.8) and did a clean install with that in 10, or 20 years (provided my system is still functional)

will the anti malware definitions, that were current at the release of 12.6.8, be installed along?
or will those definitions be even older than that, as those definitions were always separated from the OS download files?

Something to keep in mind is that Apple recently changed how its macOS malware utilities work. A good place to see the details and get a free utility, SilentKnight, is this well-respected Mac troubleshooting and commentary site:

MRT and XProtect Remediator: an update

During this transition period, with both MRT and XProtect Remediator active on Macs running Catalina and later, what runs when?

eclecticlight.co

SilentKnight, Skint, SystHist, silnite, LockRattler & Scrub

Skint – a watchful eye on security settings Updated! Checks key security settings and features including SIP, SSV, Gatekeeper, XProtect, XProtect Remediator and macOS security updates. Runs a…

eclecticlight.co