The first Rapid Security Response update for the Mac is here.
As spotted by MacRumors, Apple has released macOS Security Response 13.2 (a), a Rapid Security Response for Macs running macOS 13 Ventura. The software update came out earlier today and is available to those running the latest version of macOS Ventura.
This is the first time that we have seen a Rapid Security Response come out for the Mac, and it is currently unclear if it is addressing an actual security issue or another test that Apple is running for the feature. The report notes that the updates "is applied to the Mac automatically upon restart, and it is also added to Safari when the Safari app is exited and then reopened."
Rapid Security Response has also come to the iPhone
While this is the first time that we have seen Rapid Security Response come to the Mac, it isn't the first time that we have seen Apple roll it out. The company has already released updates twice to the iPhone, but both have appeared to also be tests that it is running to ensure the feature is ready for prime time.
Up until now, Apple would only be able to address any and all security issues that could impact its customers through its larger software updates. That has historically created a security vulnerability as users would need to wait for a larger software update to address security vulnerabilities that were sometimes being actively exploited in the wild.
With Rapid Security Response, Apple is looking to address that problem by building a system to address time-sensitive security problems with its own standalone updates. This will enable the company to protect customers from security vulnerabilities faster than the previous process.
We'll have to wait for the first major security problem to come around to see how Apple does in deploying its first RSR in the wild.
