Cybersecurity isn’t easy! It is a constant effort that we need to pull to protect our data and devices. And just like any other device, even your Mac needs protection. To ensure that, Apple has created System Integrity Protection (SIP) that protects your device from any kind of malware that wants to gain access to important system files. System Integrity Protection makes sure that your macOS is protected and prevents unauthorized execution of any code or malware.
However, if you want to temporarily disable System Integrity Protection for running code-level tasks on your Mac, you can easily do so. By disabling the SIP on macOS, developers can easily test drivers, Kernel extensions, or execute any low-level code on Mac.
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What is System Integrity Protection?
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System Integrity Protection (SIP) is a security feature that protects macOS and the system disk from unwanted modifications. It offers an enhanced level of security and restricts any kind of malware or file from accessing the crucial components of OS.
Well, from a security point of view, you shouldn’t disable System Integrity Protection on your Mac. But during development or while installing new apps and software on your Mac, you might have to turn off the System Integrity Protection.
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How to Enable/Disable System Integrity Protection on Mac?
Follow these quick steps to disable SIP on Mac.
Tap the Apple icon placed on the top menu bar, select “Restart”.
To boot macOS in recovery mode, press the Command + R key combination at the time of startup when your Mac restarts.
Once your Mac boots in Recovery mode, tap on the “Utilities” menu and select “Terminal”.
In the Terminal window, type the following command and then hit the Return key to execute it:
Csrutil disable
You will now see a message on the screen that “System Integrity Protection” has been disabled on your Mac.
Restart your Mac when done.
After you’re done running code-level operations on your Mac, you can enable System Integrity Protection to keep your Mac secure. Follow the same set of steps, boot your Mac in recovery mode, launch Terminal and use the following command to enable SIP:
Csrutil enable
Execute this command and then restart your Mac.
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Also read: How To Remove iTunes From Your Mac Completely
Frequently Asked Questions-
Q.1. What happens if you disable SIP on Mac?
Disabling the System Integrity Protection (SIP) makes your Mac more vulnerable to malware threats. Hence, it is not recommended to turn off the SIP. However, if you need to run a few developer-level tasks on macOS, you can temporarily disable it and then enable it again once you’re done.
Q.2. How do I disable SIP on m1 Mac?
To disable SIP on Macs powered with M1 processors, here’s what you need to do. First, restart your Mac, press the Command + R key combination when your Mac restarts to boot in Recovery mode. Tap on Utilities> Terminal. Execute the “csrutil disable” command on Terminal to disable SIP.
Q.3. How do I know if SIP is enabled on my Mac?
To check whether SIP is enabled or disabled on your Mac, follow these quick steps:
Launch Terminal on Mac. Type “Csrutil status” command and hit Enter to execute it. Running this command on Mac will display the status of System Integrity Protection on your Mac whether it is enabled or disabled at the moment.
Also read: What is System Data in Mac Storage and How to Delete It?
Conclusion
So, here’s how you can enable or disable System Integrity Protection on macOS. The System Integrity Protection feature was initially rolled out with macOS X EI Capitan. Apple recommends that you should keep this feature enabled to ensure a high level of security on your Mac. Although, if you need to temporarily disable it for running a few operations or to test apps, you can do so by following our above-listed guide.
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