Allowing a third party (Aura, or others) full disc access? I am concerned that in order to protect my information, I have to give out all my sensitive information and trust that they are using it to help protect me. Just wondering if other iMac users are uneasy with allowing full permissions to such an app.
iMac 24″, macOS 27.0
First, a little history of "Full Disk Access." It simply did not exist until the release of macOS Mojave in 2018. Up to that time apps had unlimited access to your computer's files & folders and as the user you were never asked to make a decision to allow an app to access whatever folders & files it needed. Since that time Apple has gradually increased the degree of control that Full Disk Access represents.
Here is Apple's explanation:
Apple believes that users should have full transparency, consent, and control over what apps are doing with their data. In macOS 10.15 or later, this model is enforced by the system to help ensure that all apps have obtained user consent before accessing files in Documents, Downloads, Desktop, iCloud Drive, and network volumes.
Full Disk Access is that user consent & control process. It is a stricter security & privacy feature than what macOS had before. But it has also led to confusion among users because now you have to grant Full Disk Access whereas before you didn't need to do anything.
As long as you trust the app, granting Full Disk Access to it is fine. They key is ... do you trust the app and its developer?
BTW, legitimate apps make use of Full Disk Access to work with the disks, files & folders the app needs; they don't go poking around "all your sensitive information." That's what malware does.
First, a little history of "Full Disk Access." It simply did not exist until the release of macOS Mojave in 2018. Up to that time apps had unlimited access to your computer's files & folders and as the user you were never asked to make a decision to allow an app to access whatever folders & files it needed. Since that time Apple has gradually increased the degree of control that Full Disk Access represents.
Here is Apple's explanation:
Apple believes that users should have full transparency, consent, and control over what apps are doing with their data. In macOS 10.15 or later, this model is enforced by the system to help ensure that all apps have obtained user consent before accessing files in Documents, Downloads, Desktop, iCloud Drive, and network volumes.
Full Disk Access is that user consent & control process. It is a stricter security & privacy feature than what macOS had before. But it has also led to confusion among users because now you have to grant Full Disk Access whereas before you didn't need to do anything.
As long as you trust the app, granting Full Disk Access to it is fine. They key is ... do you trust the app and its developer?
BTW, legitimate apps make use of Full Disk Access to work with the disks, files & folders the app needs; they don't go poking around "all your sensitive information." That's what malware does.
MacOS is the most secure operating system on the market. Privacy is at the very core of all Apple products and services.
Nothing can self-install, self-duplicate or self-sabotage your system.
I would advise against installing anything that interferes with that.
Don’t be fooled by clever marketing advertisement tactics that rely on fear to sell you a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
All the best! 👋🏼😉
Smiliñ 😎 Brian | Community Volunteer
You did not ask me, but I will say anyway --
Don't do that.
The idea that a third party, with no special knowledge of the inner workings of MacOS, can somehow find a simple way to protect you or speed up your computer — that is not already being done by MacOS itself — suggests that the MacOS Developers are somehow "holding out on you". That is absurd.
You should remove any and all (other than Apple built-in) virus scanners, speeder uppers, optimizers, cleaners, App deleters or VPN packages you installed yourself, or anything of that ilk.
Your exceptionally well-crafted Macintosh computer does not accumulate filth that needs any third-party anything to clean it. Everything needed to run it efficiently was included in the box, except ONE: a drive on which to store a second copy of your files in case the first copy is damaged or deleted by accident. The default backup software, Time Machine, is already present -- integrated deeply into MacOS.
Thank you for the reply and useful information. I think I suspected as much, but if I was really wrong I hoped for warning before I granted access.
Thanks again.
Extra 'protection' or unnecessary to use Aura?
