Stanford to Sunset macOS Mojave Starting on June 13
macOS Mojave 10.14 will no longer meet Stanford’s minimum security standards as of June 13, 2022
With Apple’s release of macOS Monterey (version 12.3) in October 2021, Mojave (version 10.14.6) should be considered end-of-life. If you’re running an older version of macOS, it may no longer be receiving security updates and will need to be updated by Monday, June 13, 2022, to meet Stanford’s minimum security standards.
Stanford adheres to a practice of supporting the current and previous two major versions of operating systems — currently Catalina 10.15.7, Big Sur 11.6.5, and Monterey 12.3. This ensures our computers remain actively patched and have the modern capabilities that we rely on.
What you need to do
If your Mac is running macOS Mojave or any older versions, you're encouraged to upgrade it to macOS Monterey or macOS Big Sur. There is no cost to upgrade.
Unsure which macOS version is installed on your device?
Here’s how you can tell:
- From the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen, choose About This Mac.
- You’ll see the macOS name and version number, plus your computer model and year.
Before you begin
Follow these steps to ensure the upgrade goes as smoothly as possible.
- Review the appropriate University IT (UIT) service information page to learn about software compatibility:
- Complete a few system checks and be sure to find out if you’re using any 32-bit apps. Visit Upgrade macOS at Stanford on the UIT website to learn more.
You can then use Apple’s instructions to download the software and complete the upgrade.
Take a few minutes to enroll in Jamf
Now is also an excellent time to enroll your macOS device in Jamf. Jamf is replacing BigFix and will eventually be necessary for a device to meet Stanford cybersecurity requirements. If you do not handle High Risk Data, you continue to have the option to use an alternative to Jamf called VLRE.
VLRE is a lightweight tool that monitors the security configuration of your laptop or desktop but shifts the responsibility for configuration changes and software patching entirely to you.
Who can help me upgrade my device?
Contact the UIT Service Desk or your local IT support team if you need assistance.
Learn more
- For information related to the sunset schedule for prominent IT services and other widely used software at Stanford, please refer to https://sunset.stanford.edu.
- Learn how to request a compliance exception.
- Read the UIT news article Jamf @ Stanford Rolling Out to Mac Devices to learn why we’re moving to Jamf.
DISCLAIMER: UIT News is accurate on the publication date. We do not update information in past news items. We do make every effort to keep our service information pages up-to-date. Please search our service pages at uit.stanford.edu/search.
