SIP (System Integrity Protection) in Mac systems is a security feature that prevents malware from modifying protected files and folders on the system. SIP restricts the root user account and limits what the root user can do in protected parts of the system. The protection mechanisms of SIP include file system protection, runtime protection and kernel extension protection. File system protection prevents modification of system directories and certain system files and folders, runtime protection restricts the ability to attach debuggers and prevent code injection, and kernel extension protection restricts the installation of kernel extensions to Apple-approved and Signed kernel extensions.
However, disabling SIP is necessary for testing network security since the SIP mechanism prevents us from monitoring network activity. The steps to disable SIP are as follows:
Start Terminal from the Utilities menu and run the command csrutil disable in recovery mode.
Restart macOS.
After logging in as a user, open a terminal and run the csrutil status command to check whether SIP is successfully closed.
It is important to note that disabling SIP may make the system vulnerable to malicious attacks, so be sure to re-enable SIP after you are done testing. The steps to enable SIP are similar to those for disabling SIP, except that you need to run the csrutil enable command.
With SIP disabled, we can use the BurpSuite tool to intercept, manipulate and analyze HTTP and HTTPS traffic between a web application and its server. This will help us detect the network activity of fake applications and protect the security of the system.
When testing network security, you must remember that disabling SIP is only for the convenience of testing, and do not disable it for a long time, otherwise the security of the system may be threatened. After disabling SIP, we need to use some security tools to protect the security of the system.
In the case of disabling SIP, we can use the following security tools to protect the security of the system:
Firewall: A firewall monitors network traffic and blocks unauthorized access. Therefore, we can use a firewall to protect the security of the system.
Antivirus software: Antivirus software can detect and remove malware, so we can use antivirus software to protect the security of our system.
VPN: A VPN can provide us with an encrypted network connection, thereby protecting our privacy and security. When testing network security, we can use a VPN to protect our own security.
In conclusion, SIP is an important security feature of Mac system, which can protect the system from malicious software. But disabling SIP is necessary when testing network security. Whenever you disable SIP, remember to re-enable it after you are done testing to ensure the security of your system. At the same time, we can also use security tools such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and VPNs to protect the security of the system.