Privacy Concern with mDNS Broadcast during Lockdown Mode on MacBook

First of all, don't believe what you read on the internet. It's simply not true.

Furthermore, the details about how computer networks operate are far, far beyond the technical knowledge of anyone posting these stories on the internet.

Unless you are actively trying to do something that would cause some government to want you dead, then you don't need Lockdown Mode at all. If you are actively trying to do something that would cause some government to want you dead, then Lockdown Mode is not going to save you.

This is simply a new feature that Apple is providing people who, through no fault or action on Apple's part, have been fooled into thinking that their devices are vulnerable to security exploits. None of that is true. It's all fake news. But Apple understands that people are worried and don't understand how these things work, so they have created features like Lockdown Mode to make people feel better, while continuing to use their devices normally.

mDNS is a local networking feature. This information does not go out over the internet unless you have specifically configured your WiFi router to broadcast it. This is never a default setting. You have to go into "Advanced features" and manually configure it, on purpose. mDNS is only going to be a security risk if the hackers are parked in your driveway and have your WiFi password.

Andrei_Yurevich wrote:

lockdown mode, which is intended to increase privacy

To quote Apple's document about Lockdown Mode, "Lockdown Mode helps protect devices against extremely rare and highly sophisticated cyber attacks."

Apple continues, "Lockdown Mode is an optional, extreme protection that’s designed for the very few individuals who, because of who they are or what they do, might be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats. Most people are never targeted by attacks of this nature."

But if you are turning on Lockdown Mode in a mistaken belief that provides some extra layer of privacy protection, then none of this matters. You aren't being targeted. Go ahead and join that cafe's WiFi network. Surf the web. Get your game on. If you want extra privacy, change your device name to something like "Special Agent Roc Ingersol's MacBook". But chances are, most people are more likely to keep their name in hopes of hooking up with the cute barista. That's the real world. Stop reading that security paranoia posted on the internet.

This is a user forum, not Apple support.