Unwanted network connections.

Hi, GM. I am glad I stumbled on this thread you created several years ago, but are still keeping active. I am afraid that I cannot answer your "rapportd" question, but I can respond with some personal tips that I have implemented to make my computing life a little more satisfactory in our age of untrustworthy computing. I implement this technique every time I need to work on a modern Windows device in my home.

Step #1. Disable the default route. Yeah...this means nothing's going out the door, because there's no door to go out. In macOS, this would be in the Network portion of System Preferences, and you would need to set yourself up an "Configure IPV4: Manually" network address that would be correct for your home network. Usually you can steal the information that's been assigned to you by your DHCP server, but you need to delete the value in the "Router" field.

Step #2: Install an internet proxy server on another device on your local area network. On my network, this happens to be a Synology NAS device with the "Proxy Server" package installed.

Step #3: Install from a usb stick your desired non-Chromium based web browser for your MacOS device. Firefox is usually a good choice, although they do a lot of their own "phoning home" as well. You might consider Waterfox, which is a derivative that claims to have removed most of the "phone home code."

Step #4: Configure the browser's proxy settings to access the Internet through your network's proxy server.

Once you have completed these steps, the only Internet accesses coming from your computer will be those initiated by the web browser that you have configured to access the Internet through your proxy server.

I look forward to continuing this most intriguing discussion and to hearing your ongoing perspectives how we can work to restore our faith in online computing.

Fear.Him

What is rapportd? Why is it always listening and what apps or frameworks does it effect?

the only daemon I know of which that name is part of Trusteer anti-virus package.

It is unimaginable to me that you are squawking about your privacy and allowing that Junk to read all your files, un-impeded.

There is also a legitimate Apple version of rapportd in addition to the one used by IBM/ Trusteer.

The path /usr/libexec/rapportd is protected by SIP - it belongs to Apple on a system that has always used SIP. It seems the name collision is confusing people.

On an up to date High Sierra check the code signing as discussed at… https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/308294/what-is-rapportd-and-why-does-i t-want-incoming-network-connectionsthat should show that Apple made it.

It appears to be part of Homekit according to this site…

http://applehelpwriter.com/2017/12/08/what-is-rapportd/comment-page-1/

The ones who know what it is for are not making it clear (Apple often don't describe every tool or feature in the OS).

The only question that GreenMamba needs to think about is 'Do I trust Apple?' Either you do or don't, if you don't then stop using their OS & hardware. It seems blunt but that is the situation you are in. Apple appear to be better than most companies for privacy and security but they are often not transparent in being clear what their OS's are doing & why.

Linux and Windows are no better in my opinion (especially Windows hardware vendors) but that is the choice you make.

Please condense your post into a question.

Writing an effective Apple Support Communities question

Well what if I don't want my location to be documented constantly while using my mac? Why can't i just turn it off. I believe it is mainly used for Maps.

If you go under System Preferences / Security & Privacy, you will see the window below. You can select which application have access to Location Services.

Kim

I kind of get what you're saying. The trouble is that it's a multi-faceted problem and you might not consider all the use cases.

Usually, the features are enabled to provide some kind of convenience/enhancement to the user experience. Often in subtle ways you don't notice.

Take the location services, for example - sure, it's used by Maps.app to center the map when you open it, but it may also be used by other applications. For example, some web sites may use your location to customize content (this is common for local news articles, for example). Or how about the clock automatically resetting based on your location (very handy if you're a traveller moving between time zones). Both of these are cases you might not notice - nor need - but they do have some value for a lot of people.

I think the bigger issue you raise is one of transparency - an awareness of what connections are open, and what their purpose. It's hard to document those, though, in a way that makes sense for most users.

It's a simple process to disable SIP.

I disabled it primarily because that was the only way I could get rid of the butt-ugly Dock Apple forced upon us in El Capitan.

Now I run cDock 2, which requires SIMBL be installed.

It allows me to change many aspects of the Dock and I now have a stylish 3D Dock again. 😎

Default Folder X v4 also couldn't run with SIP enabled.

Version 5 now runs as an app and works with SIP enabled.

So the only reason I now have SIP disabled is because of the atrocious Dock.

By providing such a repulsive look for an integral part of the OS and no way to change it, Apple is forcing me and others to use an unapproved hack and disable an important security feature that was specifically incorporated into El Capitan to prevent users from mucking it up.

How to turn off System Integrity Protection in El Capitan

1. Click the  menu.
2. Select Restart...
3. Hold down command-R to boot into the Recovery System.
4. Click the Utilities menu and select Terminal.
5. Type csrutil disable and press return.
6. Close the Terminal app.
7. Click the  menu and select Restart....

To re-enable SIP, repeat these steps, changing csrutil disable to csrutil enable.

Please use System preferences > Security & Privacy ...

... to turn off any accesses to your computer you do not want.

Then go about your business and stop obsessing over this.

If you decide to go out onto the Internet, they ARE out to get you. But since you have a well-protected Mac, "getting to you" requires your complicity in finding and installing the garbage for them.

If you are not happy about the risks of the Internet, pull the plug on your Router and don't go there.